The Ministry of Defense (MoD; Arabic: وزارة الدفاع) is a Ministry in Saudi Arabia 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.[1] The current minister of defense is Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud, 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.
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 Khalid bin Salman Al Saud, the current Minister of Defense since 2022 | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1943; 81 years ago (1943) |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Saudi Arabia |
| Headquarters | Riyadh |
| Minister responsible | |
| Website | Official English Site |
In 2017, Saudi Arabia has ranked third in the world with military spending and by far the largest military spender in the Middle East.[2][3] 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).[4] SIPRI also stated that Saudi Arabia is the most well-armed country in the Persian Gulf region in terms of its inventory of modern equipment.[5]
Since the appointment of Sultan bin Abdulaziz as Minister of Defense in 1963, the powerful ministry has only changed hands thrice, and has been held by descendants of the Al Sudairi clan.
The ministry has led to bright careers for its holders. Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz went on to become Second Deputy Prime Minister in 1982 and rose to the rank of Crown Prince in 2005. He served as Crown Prince until his death in 2011. His successor, Riyadh Governor Salman bin Abdulaziz became Second Deputy Prime Minister in 2011 and became Crown Prince in 2012. In 2015, Salman became the seventh King of Saudi Arabia, following King Abdullah's death.
Mohammed bin Salman's appointment as Minister of Defense in January 2015, marked the first time in over half a century that a grandson of Saudi Arabia's founder, King Abdulaziz had served in the position. In April 2015, Mohammed bin Salman became Deputy Crown Prince and Second Deputy Prime Minister. In 2017, Mohammed bin Salman was elevated to the rank of Crown Prince and continued to hold the Ministry until his appointment as Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia in 2022.
