Prince Bandar bin Sultan

Position: Director-general, General Intelligence Presidency (GIP)

Biography: As Saudi ambassador to the US from 1983-2005, Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz al-Saud has been one of the architects of strong ties between the two countries.

His appointment as director- general of the GIP in mid-2012 came amid a reshuffle of government roles after the death of Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz al-Saud. It also brought Prince Bandar back to the front line of Saudi politics after several years behind the scenes.

After leaving the US in 2005, he was appointed secretary-general of the National Security Council, a body created in 2005 by King Abdullah to coordinate intelligence, national security and foreign policy. In his role as head of GIP, one of his priorities is coordinating Riyadh’s response to the uprising in Syria. Prince Bandar graduated from the UK’s Royal Air Force College in 1968 and is a trained fighter pilot. 

Contact Email: info@gip.gov.sa