Prince Khalid sacked as King Abdullah continues to clear out the old guard

Deputy defence minister Prince Khalid Bin Sultan was sacked on 20 April, and replaced by a former naval chief from a less prominent branch of the Al-Saud – a surprise to many, even though Khalid had long been considered unpopular with the king. The enfant terrible of Saudi military politics, his 12-year stint at the ministry of defence ended with a brief statement from the Saudi Press Agency that reflected once again the opaque nature of decision making in the kingdom. “King Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz issued today a royal order relieving Prince Khalid… deputy defence minister of his post and appointing Prince Fahd Bin Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Abdelrahman Al-Saud, as deputy defence minister at the rank of minister,” the statement said.