He is the new commander of the joint forces of the Saudi-led Arab coalition to restore the legitimate government in Yemen. Prince Fahad bin Turki bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud was appointed to lead the forces through a royal decree on Feb. 26.
Before joining the coalition forces, he was the commander of the Royal Saudi Ground Forces, commander of paratroopers units and special forces. He also served as special operations commander of the coalition.
Prince Fahad bin Turki recently received Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi when he visited the joint forces command of the coalition.
They discussed the Yemeni army’s field operations and reviewed the coalition’s military operations in the country.
During the meeting, President Hadi praised the role of the coalition, the national army, and the Yemeni people for rejecting and countering the Iranian-backed Houthi militias.
The coalition is also working with the international community to stop recruiting children to fight in Yemen.
In January 2018, the foreign ministers of the coalition members announced a $1.5 billion humanitarian aid package for Yemen.
Prince Fahad bin Turki is the son of Prince Turki bin Abdul Aziz, who is the former deputy minister of defense and aviation, and the 21st son of King Abdul Aziz, the first monarch and founder of Saudi Arabia.
He joined the military service in 1983 and was awarded a diploma from the US Army Field Artillery School at Fort Benning, Georgia, in 1984.
He also received a master’s degree in International Business Administration (MIBA) from the US International University in June 1983.
