Prince Khaled bin Sultan
Commander, Joint Arab Forces
"We did not fight this war alone. And we should not forget that."
Biography
Prince Khaled bin Sultan, a lieutenant general in the Royal Saudi Air Force and son of Saudi Arabia's defense minister, served as the joint commander of Arab and Islamic forces within the coalition — a co-equal partnership with General Schwarzkopf that was as much a political arrangement as a military one. With Saudi Arabia as the staging ground for the entire coalition, Saudi political sensitivities shaped everything from base access to the prohibition on female soldiers driving near certain areas. Khaled proved a capable and practical military commander, coordinating Arab forces from Egypt, Syria, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, and Oman. Arab and Islamic forces — nearly 270,000 strong — played a crucial role in the liberation of Kuwait City, ensuring that the liberation of an Arab capital was carried out in part by Arab armies. Khaled later wrote an extensive memoir criticizing what he saw as American heavy-handedness and the premature ceasefire.
Did you know?
Prince Khaled held co-equal command with Schwarzkopf — a deliberate political arrangement to prevent the coalition from appearing as a Western invasion of Arab lands. He wrote a memoir, 'Desert Warrior,' that presents a very different perspective on the command decisions from the Arab side.
Key Battles
Battle of Khafji
Coalition Forces victoryJanuary 29, 1991 · 943 total casualties
The Battle of Khafji — the only Iraqi offensive action of the war — ended as a decisive coalition victory, demonstrating that Iraqi forces were no match for the combination of Western air power and Arab ground forces fighting on home soil.
Operation Desert Sabre — The Left Hook
Coalition Forces victoryFebruary 24, 1991 · 8,148 total casualties
The 'Left Hook' stands as one of the most brilliantly executed ground maneuvers in modern military history — Schwarzkopf's deception plan kept 13 Iraqi divisions watching the coast while the real blow fell hundreds of miles to the west.
Liberation of Kuwait City
Coalition Forces victoryFebruary 26, 1991 · 523 total casualties
The liberation of Kuwait City fulfilled the coalition's stated war aim — restoring Kuwaiti sovereignty — and produced some of the war's most iconic images, both of joyous liberation and of the scorched oil fields Iraq left behind.
Life Journey
Timeline
September 24, 1949
🌅 Birth
Born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to the royal Al Saud family
1968
📚 Education
Graduated from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, England
1970s
📍 Posting
Rose through Royal Saudi Air Force; stationed at Tabuk Air Base near Jordan border
August 1990
📍 Posting
Appointed Commander of Arab and Islamic forces; moved to coalition headquarters in Riyadh
February 1, 1991
⚔️ Battle
Directed Saudi and Arab forces in the recapture of Khafji
February 26, 1991
⚔️ Battle
Led Arab forces into Kuwait City; the liberation was deliberately led by Arab and Kuwaiti units