Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

Khalid bin Salman Al Saud ( ''Khālid bin Salmān Āl Suʿūd''; born 1988) is a Saudi Arabian

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

and

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

who serves as the Saudi Arabian Minister of Defense. He was appointed Defense Minister on 27 September 2022. He is a grandson of the founder of

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

King Abdulaziz Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud (; 15 January 1875Ibn Saud's birth year has been a source of debate. It is generally accepted as 1876, although a few sources give it as 1880. According to British author Robert Lacey's book ''The Kingdom'', ...

, the tenth child and ninth son of

King Salman Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (; born 31 December 1935) has been King of Saudi Arabia since 2015, and was Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2022. He is the 25th son of King Abdulaziz, the founder of Saudi Arabia. He assumed the thro ...

, and a younger brother of Crown Prince and Prime Minister

Mohammed bin Salman Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (; born 31 August 1985), also known as MBS or MbS, is the ''de facto'' ruler of the Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, formally serving as Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Sa ...

. According to a leaked

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...

assessment, Prince Khalid was involved in the

assassination of Jamal Khashoggi On 2 October 2018, Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident journalist, was killed by agents of the Saudi government at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Khashoggi was ambushed and strangled by a 15-member squad of Saudi operatives. His body w ...

, instructing Khashoggi to go to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul where Khashoggi was subsequently strangled and dismembered.

Early life and education

Prince Khalid bin Salman was born in 1988. He is the son of King Salman and his third spouse

Fahda bint Falah Al Hithlain Princess Fahda bint Falah Al Hithlain () is the third spouse of Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the king of Saudi Arabia. She is a member of the Ajman tribe Al-Ajman or al-'Ijman (, singular Ajmi ) is an Arabian tribal confederation in the Arab ...

. Prince Khalid earned a bachelor's degree in Aviation Sciences from

King Faisal Air Academy The King Faisal Air Academy () is a military officers' academy and flight school in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia founded in 1968. History Founded on 10 January 1968, by Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Defense and Aviation, King Faisal Air Acad ...

and continued his education in the United States. He obtained a certificate from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

in their senior executives in the national and international security program. He also studied advanced electronic warfare in Paris, France. Prince Khalid was enrolled in

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

to pursue his higher education in the university's master of arts in security studies program. Due to various official duties and tasks, his studies were postponed prior to his appointment as ambassador to the United States.

Military career

After graduating from the

, Prince Khalid joined the

Royal Saudi Air Force The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF; ) is the military aviation, aviation branch of the Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabian Armed Forces. The Royal Saudi Air Force currently has wings, squadrons, and a special forces unit dedicated to comba ...

. He commenced his aviation career by flying

T-6 Texan The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft, which was used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Air Force (USAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, R ...

and T-38 aircraft at

Columbus Air Force Base Columbus Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Columbus, Mississippi. The host unit at Columbus AFB is the 14th Flying Training Wing (14 FTW), which is a part of Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The resident ...

in Mississippi. He then started flying F-15 S and was also appointed as a Tactical Intelligence Officer in addition to his duties as an F-15 S pilot with the 92nd Squadron of the RSAF 3rd Wing at

King Abdulaziz Air Base King Abdulaziz Air Base () , also known as Dhahran Air Base and formerly Dhahran International Airport, Dhahran Airport and Dhahran Airfield, is a Royal Saudi Air Force base located in Dhahran in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, Eastern Pro ...

Dhahran Dhahran (, ) is a city located in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. With a total population of 143,936 as of 2022, it is a major administrative center for the History of the oil industry in Saudi Arabia, Saudi ...

. Prince Khalid has accumulated nearly 1,000 flying hours and carried out air missions against the jihadist militant group

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS occupied signi ...

within the International Coalition's efforts. He also participated in

Operation Decisive Storm On 26 March 2015, Saudi Arabia, leading a coalition of nine countries from West Asia and North Africa, launched a military intervention in Yemen at the request of Yemeni president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, who had been ousted from the capital, Sa ...

and Operation Restoring Hope by flying missions over Yemen. Prince Khalid was awarded medals including: South Shield Medal, the Battle Medal, the Excellence Medal, and the Abdullah's Sword Medal. Prince Khalid trained extensively with the American armed forces both in the United States and in Saudi Arabia, including his training at

Nellis Air Force Base Nellis Air Force Base ("Nellis" colloquialism, colloq.) is a United States Air Force military installation, installation in southern Nevada. Nellis hosts Aerial warfare, air combat exercises such as Exercise Red Flag and close air support exerc ...

in Nevada. A back injury prohibited Prince Khalid from flying, which prompted him to work as an officer at the office of the

Minister of Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

Diplomatic career

After his military career, he was appointed as a senior civilian advisor at the

Ministry of Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divided ...

. By late 2016, Prince Khalid moved to the United States where he worked as an advisor at the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington.

Saudi Ambassador to the United States

In April 2017, Prince Khalid became the tenth Saudi Ambassador to the United States since 1945. In March 2018, Prince Khalid appeared on CNN in discussion with

Wolf Blitzer Wolf Isaac Blitzer (born March 22, 1948) is an American journalist, television news anchor, and author who has been a CNN reporter since 1990, and who currently serves as one of the principal anchors at the network. He has been a host of ''The ...

to preview Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's trip to the United States. He authored a column in the ''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' on 19 March 2018 that outlined the ways in which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was embracing change, and how the Saudi–U.S. relationship could be strengthened as a result of this transformation.

Jamal Khashoggi

Jamal Khashoggi Jamal Ahmad Hamza Khashoggi (13 October 1958 – 2 October 2018) was a Saudi journalist, Saudi dissidents, dissident, author, columnist for ''Middle East Eye'' and ''The Washington Post'', and a general manager and editor-in-chief of Al-Arab New ...

, a journalist, visited the Saudi Arabian consulate in

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

on Tuesday, 2 October 2018, and was murdered within minutes. The following Monday, 8 October, Khalid bin Salman denied that the Saudis had detained or killed Khashoggi. According to a leaked

assessment, whose details were reported by several news outlets, including the

, Prince Khalid had instructed Khashoggi to go to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to pick up the papers he needed, assuring him that it would be safe for him to do so. Prince Khalid denied the charges. According to ''

Hürriyet ''Hürriyet'' (, ''Liberty'') is a major List of newspapers in Turkey, Turkish newspaper, founded in 1948. it had the highest circulation of any newspaper in Turkey at around 319,000. ''Hürriyet'' combines entertainment with news coverage and ...

'' columnist Abdulkadir Selvi, the

Director of the Central Intelligence Agency The director of the Central Intelligence Agency (D/CIA) is a statutory office () that functions as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, which in turn is a part of the United States Intelligence Community. The director reports to the D ...

Gina Haspel Gina Cheri Walker Haspel (born October 1, 1956) is an American intelligence officer who was the seventh director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from May 21, 2018, to January 20, 2021. She was the agency's deputy director from 2017 to 2 ...

had possession of the "smoking gun phone call" in which crown prince

Mohammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monotheistic teachings of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Mose ...

was recorded giving orders to his brother Khaled, then Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the US, "to Silence Jamal Khashoggi as Soon as Possible". The subsequent murder is the ultimate confirmation of this instruction."

Deputy Minister of Defense

In February 2019, Khalid was appointed Deputy Defense Minister of Saudi Arabia and was replaced by

Reema bint Bandar Al Saud Reema bint Bandar Al Saud (; born 15 February 1975) is the current List of ambassadors of Saudi Arabia to the United States, Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States, a position her father had also previously held. Appointed by Salman of Sa ...

as ambassador to the US. In September 2021, Prince Khalid met with Russian Deputy Minister of Defense Colonel General Alexander Fomin to sign an agreement to develop joint military cooperation between the two countries.

Minister of Defense

On 27 September 2022, Prince Khalid was appointed Defense Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In February 2024, Prince Khalid was appointed as Chairman of the Board of the

Saudi Arabian Military Industries Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), (Arabic:الشركة السعودية للصناعات العسكرية), is a state-owned defense company based in Saudi Arabia. Activities SAMI was established to provide defense products and servic ...

, a company fully owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund and built in 2017 whose goal is to achieve one of the Vision 2030 goals of localizing fifty percent of Saudi's military spending. On 24 March 2024, Pakistani President

Asif Ali Zardari Asif Ali Zardari (born 26 July 1955) is a Pakistani politician serving as the 14th president of Pakistan since 2024, having held the same office from 2008 to 2013. He is the president of Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians and was the ...

conferred the

Nishan-e-Pakistan Nishan-e-Pakistan () is the highest civilian award of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. It is awarded to "those who have rendered services of highest distinction" to the national interest of Pakistan. Nishan is awarded to government officials a ...

award, Pakistan's highest civilian award, to Prince Khalid. On 3 May 2024, Prince Khalid launched the new facilities of the

. On 5 June 2024, Prince Khalid, together with several senior officials, inaugurated the National Defence University, formerly known as the Saudi Armed Forces Command and Staff College. In February 2025 he met U.S Secretary of Defense

Pete Hegseth Peter Brian Hegseth (born June 6, 1980) is an American author, former television presenter, and former Army National Guard officer who has served as the 29th United States secretary of defense since 2025. Hegseth studied politics at Princeton ...

The Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense, in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The building was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As ...

for bilateral talks. On 17 April 2025, he met with

Ali Khamenei Ali Hosseini Khamenei (; born 19 April 1939) is an Iranian cleric and politician who has served as the second supreme leader of Iran since 1989. He previously served as the third President of Iran, president from 1981 to 1989. Khamenei's tenure ...

(The Supreme Leader of Iran) in

Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran The Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran (, ''Daftar-e Magham-e Moazzam-e Rahbari'' lit. ''Office of the Supreme Leadership Authority''), also known as the House of Leadership (, ''Beit-e Rahbari''), is the official residence, bureaucratic office ...

to deliver a message from

Salman of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (; born 31 December 1935) has been King of Saudi Arabia since 2015, and was Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2022. He is the 25th son of King Abdulaziz, the founder of Saudi Arabia. He assumed the thron ...

(King of Saudi Arabia).

Ancestry

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saud, Khalid Salman

Khalid Khalid (variants include Khaled and Kalid; Arabic: خالد) is a popular Arabic male given name meaning "eternal, everlasting, immortal". It also appears as a surname.

1988 births Ambassadors of Saudi Arabia to the United States

Khalid Khalid (variants include Khaled and Kalid; Arabic: خالد) is a popular Arabic male given name meaning "eternal, everlasting, immortal". It also appears as a surname.

Living people Royal Saudi Air Force personnel

Khalid Khalid (variants include Khaled and Kalid; Arabic: خالد) is a popular Arabic male given name meaning "eternal, everlasting, immortal". It also appears as a surname.

Walsh School of Foreign Service alumni Defense ministers of Saudi Arabia 21st-century Saudi Arabian diplomats Sons of kings