JEDDAH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah on Wednesday issued a royal decree extending the term of Prince Bandar bin Sultan, secretary-general of the National Security Council (NSC), to another four years.
King Abdullah announced the formation of NSC on Oct. 16 and appointed Prince Bandar, former ambassador to the US, as its first secretary-general with the rank of a minister. Prince Bandar was Kingdom's ambassador in Washington for 22 years.
Prince Bandar, who was born on March 2, 1949 in Taif, is the son of Crown Prince Sultan. He graduated from the British Royal Air Force College at Cranwell, England in 1968 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF).
He received pilot training in both the United Kingdom and the United States, and has flown numerous fighter aircraft. During his 17-year military career, he attained the rank of lieutenant colonel and commanded fighter squadrons at three RSAF bases.
Also on Wednesday, King Abdullah extended the term of Saad bin Nasser Al-Sudairy, adviser to the interior minister, to another four years.
