Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Who is He?

Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s full brother. Before taking on the role of Minister of Defence in 2022, he served as ambassador to the US.

His Background and Academics

Prince Khaled was born in Riyadh in 1988. He completed his elementary, middle, and secondary schooling at Riyadh institutions before graduating from high school in 2006.

After completing his studies at King Faisal Air College, Prince Khalid bin Salman went on to get a bachelor’s degree in aviation sciences. Moreover, he earned a certificate in senior executive studies in national and international security from Harvard University. He was in Paris studying sophisticated electronic warfare as well.

He started graduate work at Georgetown University to get a Master of Arts in security studies. However, before his appointment as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States, he took on several practical responsibilities that put a stop to his studies.

His Practical Career in Armed Forces and Security

After graduating from King Faisal Air College, Prince Khaled joined the Royal Saudi Air Force. He started his career flying T-38 and Texan-6 aircraft at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi.

After enrolling in an F-15S flying programme, he was assigned to the 92nd Squadron of the Third Wing at King Abdulaziz Base in Dhahran, where he worked as a pilot and a tactical intelligence officer.

With over 1,000 hours of flight experience, Prince Khaled underwent training as a fighter pilot. After serving in the aviation industry, he got a position to the Office of the Minister of Defence. When his military tenure ended, he received a promotion to senior civilian advisor in the Saudi Ministry of Defence.

The prince travelled to the United States in late 2016 to serve as an advisor at the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Embassy in the United States.