RIYADH – Prince Fahd Bin Abdullah Bin Muhammad has been appointed Deputy Minister of Defense, replacing Prince Khaled Bin Sultan at the rank of minister. Prince Khaled Bin Sultan was relieved of his post, according to a Royal decree issued Saturday, Saudi Press Agency reported. Prince Khaled, the eldest son of the late Crown Prince Sultan, had been serving as Deputy Minister of Defense since November 2011. After years of service in the army, Prince Khaled became first commander of the Saudi Air Defense Force and he was chosen as the commander of the joint Arab forces in the first Gulf War after Iraq's occupation of Kuwait. Prince Fahd Bin Abdullah was appointed in April 2002 as the Commander of Marine Forces. He has an excellent track record by serving the Marine Forces in various capacities. He worked at the ships of King Abdul Aziz and the floating units of the Marine Base. He also served as Director of the Training Department at the Marine Forces, Chairman of the Operations Authority at the Marine Forces, and then named as the Director of the Crown Prince's Office before being appointed as Deputy Commander of the Marine Forces. Prince Fahd, holder of master's degree in military sciences, did various marine courses before taking up these posts. They included marine courses from the United States and United Kingdom as well as an advanced marine course from Pakistan. He has won several national and international medals for his outstanding services, and these included King Abdul Aziz Medal, King Faisal Medal, Marine Forces Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, Administrative Medal of First Class, Peninsula Shield Medal and Medal of Military Honor. – SG
