The Ministry of Defense (MoD; ar, وزارة الدفاع) is a Ministry in
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
that is responsible for the protection of national security, interests and sovereignty of the country from external threats as well as the working with all ministries of the state to achieve national security and stability. The current minister of defense is Prince
Khalid bin Salman Al Saud
Khalid bin Salman Al Saud ( ar, خالد بن سلمان آل سعود ''Khālid bin Salmān Āl Suʿūd''; born 1988), is a Saudi royal, diplomat, and politician who serves as the Saudi Arabian minister of defense. He was appointed defense mini ...
, who was appointed on 27 September 2022. The Ministry includes the five service branches of the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces:
The Royal Saudi Land Force,
The Royal Saudi Air Force,
The Royal Saudi Naval Force,
The Royal Saudi Air Defense Force and the
Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force
The Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force ( ar, قوة الصواريخ الإستراتيجية الملكية السعودية) or RSSMF is the fifth branch of the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces, responsible for commissioning long-range strategic mis ...
.
In 2017, Saudi Arabia has ranked third in the world with
military spending
A military budget (or military expenditure), also known as a defense budget, is the amount of financial resources dedicated by a state to raising and maintaining an armed forces or other methods essential for defense purposes.
Financing milit ...
and by far the largest military spender in the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
. With an allocated budget of $69.4 billion representing 10% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), Saudi Arabia replaced Russia, which ranked fourth in military spending according to the
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). SIPRI also stated that Saudi Arabia is the most well-armed country in the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...
region in terms of its inventory of modern equipment.
History
*Military Affairs Administration – In 1929, A royal order was issued by
King Abdulaziz
Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud ( ar, عبد العزيز بن عبد الرحمن آل سعود, ʿAbd al ʿAzīz bin ʿAbd ar Raḥman Āl Suʿūd; 15 January 1875Ibn Saud's birth year has been a source of debate. It is generally accepted ...
, the founder of Saudi Arabia, to create the Military Affairs Administration to deal with military issues and build a strong army. The army was organized into three units: machine gun, infantry and artillery units.
*Defense Agency – In addition to the Military Affairs Administration, the Defense Agency was established by King Abdulaziz’s order in 1934 as a requirement of the expansion and modernization where further detachments were created and distributed over the cities and seaports of the country.
*General Staff Presidency – In 1939, the General Staff Presidency was established replacing the Military Affairs Administration.
*Ministry of Defense and Aviation – In 1943, the Ministry of Defense was created replacing the Defense Agency, later in 1952, its name was changed to the Ministry of Defense and Aviation.
*Ministry of Defense – In 2011, the Ministry of Defense and Aviation was renamed to be Ministry of Defense.
Ministers of Defense
*
Mansour bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Mansour bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ( ar, منصور بن عبد العزيز آل سعود ''Manṣūr ibn ‘Abdul‘azīz Āl Su‘ūd''; 1921 – 2 May 1951) was a Saudi royal and politician who served as the defense minister of Saudi Arabia b ...
(10 November 1943 – 2 May 1951)
*
Mishaal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Mishaal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (; 5 September 1926 – 3 May 2017) was a Saudi Arabian politician and businessman. A member of the House of Saud, he held different cabinet posts in the 1950s and was the chairman of the Allegiance Council from ...
(12 May 1951 – 1953)
*
Fahad bin Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Fahd bin Saud Al Saud ( ar, فهد بن سعود آل سعود ''Fahd bin Su'ūd Āl Su'ūd''; 1923 – 30 October 2006) was a Saudi Arabian businessman, government official, and the eldest son of King Saud. He served as the Saudi Arabian ministe ...
(1957 – 1960)
*
Muhammed bin Saud Al Saud
Muhammed bin Saud Al Saud ( ar, محمد بن سعود آل سعود, Muḥammed bin Suʿūd Āl Suʿūd; 21 March 1934 – 8 July 2012) was a Saudi royal and politician. He was a son of King Saud. He served as the Saudi Arabian minister of defe ...
(1960 – 22 October 1963)
*
Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (c. 5 January 1928 – 22 October 2011) (Arabic: سلطان بن عبدالعزيز آل سعود ''Sulṭān ibn ʿAbdulʿazīz Āl Suʿūd''), called ''Sultan the Good'' (Arabic: سلطان الخير ''Sulṭa ...
(22 October 1963 – 22 October 2011)
*
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ( ar, سلمان بن عبد العزیز آل سعود, , ; born 31 December 1935) is King of Saudi Arabia, reigning since 2015, and served as Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2022. The 25th son of King ...
(5 November 2011 – 23 January 2015)
*
Mohammed bin Salman
Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud ( ar, محمد بن سلمان آل سعود, translit=Muḥammad bin Salmān Āl Su‘ūd; born 31 August 1985), colloquially known by his initials MBS or MbS, is Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia. H ...
(23 January 2015 – 27 September 2022)
*
Khalid bin Salman Al Saud
Khalid bin Salman Al Saud ( ar, خالد بن سلمان آل سعود ''Khālid bin Salmān Āl Suʿūd''; born 1988), is a Saudi royal, diplomat, and politician who serves as the Saudi Arabian minister of defense. He was appointed defense mini ...
(27 September 2022 – present)
Flags of the Armed Forces
, Flag of the Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia
File:Flag of the Royal Saudi Land Forces.png, Flag of the Royal Saudi Land Forces
File:Flag of the Royal Saudi Air Force.png, Flag of the Royal Saudi Air Force
File:Naval base flag of the Royal Saudi Navy.svg, Naval base flag of the Royal Saudi Navy
File:Flag of the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces.svg, Flag of the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces
See also
*
Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Arabian Armed Forces (SAAF) ( ar, القُوَّات المُسَلَّحَة العَرَبِيَّة السُّعُودِيَّة, Al-Quwwat al-Musallahah al-Malakiyah as-Su’ūdiyah), also known as the Royal Saudi Armed Forces, ar ...
*
Chairman of the General Staff
The Chairman of the General Staff of the Armed Forces (abbreviated COGS) also known as the ''"Chief of the General Staff"'' is the chief and highest ranking officer of the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces.
He usually holds the highest military rank w ...
*
Ministry of War (Saudi Arabia)
The Ministry of War (also commonly translated as the "Military Ministry" ( ar, وزارة الحربية) or Board) was created 1744 to unify the Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia under one administrative structure. In 1933 it was renamed as the "Defens ...
References
External links
*
Minister of Defensea
Global Security
{{DEFAULTSORT:Minister of Defense
1944 establishments in Saudi Arabia
Ministries established in 1933
Defense
Defense or defence may refer to:
Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups
* Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare
* Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks
* Defense industr ...
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...