View source for Saudi Arabian National Guard

{{short description|Counter-insurgency force of the Saudi Arabian military}}
{{distinguish|Saudi Royal Guard Regiment}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name                     = Saudi Arabian National Guard
| native_name                   = {{lang|ar|الحَرَس الوَطنيّ}}<br/>{{Transliteration|ar|al-Ḥaras al-Waṭanī}}
| image                         = Saudi Ministry of National Guard Flag.svg
| caption                       = Flag of the Ministry of National Guard
| country                       = [[Saudi Arabia]]
| allegiance                    = [[Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques|CTHM]]
| branch                        = [[Army]], [[Air force]]
| type                          = [[National Guard|National guard]]
| role                          = [[Reserve army]]<br />[[Counter-insurgency]]
| start_date                    = {{start date|1910|df=yes}}{{Efn|As the [[Ikhwan|White Army]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Ikhwan of Najd and Their Role in the Creation of the Sa'udi Kingdom, 1910–1930|date= 1977|publisher=John S. Habib|isbn= 978-90-04-05757-9|url=https://archive.org/details/ibnsaudswarriors0000habi/page/n1/mode/2up}}</ref>}}
| size                          = 153,000{{Efn|By 2013, it was estimated that more than 125,000 active duty (153,000 if the irregular fowj regiments are included)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://armedforces.eu/manpower/ranking_reserve_personnel|title=List of countries by number of reserve personnel|work=Armed Forces|access-date=21 May 2020|archive-date=6 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200306233331/https://armedforces.eu/manpower/ranking_reserve_personnel|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="adhrb.org">{{Cite web |url=http://www.adhrb.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/2015.07.28_MSS-Ch-5-SANG-Draft_Final.pdf |title=Mapping the Saudi State, Chapter 5: The Saudi Arabian National Guard |access-date=14 October 2019 |archive-date=14 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211114195158/http://www.adhrb.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/2015.07.28_MSS-Ch-5-SANG-Draft_Final.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="ahewar.org">{{cite web|title=السعودية.. مزايا لنحو ربع مليون عسكري في الحرس الوطني|url=http://www.ahewar.org/rate/ys.asp?yid=3416880|date=2019|language=ar|access-date=22 April 2020|archive-date=14 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230214213659/https://www.ahewar.org/rate/ys.asp?yid=3416880|url-status=live}}</ref>}}
| command_structure             = [[Ministry of National Guard]]
| garrison                      = [[Riyadh Province|Riyadh]] (central)<br>{{space|1}}[[Makkah Region|Western Province]]<br>{{space|1}}[[Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia|Eastern Province]]
| garrison_label                = Regional HQ
| equipment                     = 
| equipment_label               = 
| nickname                      = ''"The White Army"'', ''"SANG"''
| motto                         = 
| core values                   = 
| colors                        = 
| colors_label                  = 
| march                         = 
| mascot                        = 
| battles                       = 
| anniversaries                 = [[23 September]] ;{{Age|1932|09|23}} years ago
*[[Saudi National Day|SA National Day (1932)]]
| decorations                   = 
| battle_honours                = 
| website                       = {{URL|sang.gov.sa|www.sang.gov.sa}}
<!-- Commanders -->| commander1                    = {{flagicon|Saudi Arabia}} [[Prince]] [[Abdullah bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud|Abdullah bin Bandar]]
| commander1_label              = Supreme commander
| commander2                    = {{flagicon|Saudi Arabia}} [[Major general|Maj. Gen]] Mohammed bin Zaid Al-Qahtani
| commander2_label              = Commander-in-Chief
| notable_commanders            = {{flagicon|Saudi Arabia}} [[Abdullah of Saudi Arabia|King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz]]
* Minister (1963–2010)
<!-- Insignia -->| identification_symbol         = 
| identification_symbol_label   = 
| identification_symbol_2       = 
| identification_symbol_2_label = 
}}
The '''Saudi Arabian National Guard''' ('''SANG'''),{{efn|{{langx|ar|الحَرَس الوَطنيّ|al-Ḥaras al-Waṭanī}}}} also known as the '''White Army''',{{efn|{{langx|ar|الجيش الأبيض}}}} is one of the three major branches of the military forces of the [[Kingdom of Saudi Arabia]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG)|url= http://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a236930.pdf|access-date=30 September 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160109111222/http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a236930.pdf|archive-date=9 January 2016|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The national guard is under the administrative control of the [[Ministry of National Guard]], instead of the [[Minister of Defense (Saudi Arabia)|Ministry of Defence]]. It differs from the regular [[Saudi Arabian Army]] in being forged out of tribal elements loyal to the [[House of Saud]] and tasked with protecting the royal family from internal dangers such as a [[coup d'état]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Anthony H. Cordesman|title=Saudi Arabia: National Security in a Troubled Region|date=2009|publisher=ABC-CLIO|pages=175–7|isbn=9780313380761|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1OpmRrNzFHgC&q=Saudi+Arabian+National+Guard&pg=PA175|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150322150247/https://books.google.com/books?id=1OpmRrNzFHgC&pg=PA175&dq=Saudi+Arabian+National+Guard&hl=en&sa=X&ei=D_fPVNHrFcmwogSZsIKgAw&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Saudi%20Arabian%20National%20Guard&f=false|archive-date=22 March 2015|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Organisation and roles==
[[File:A US soldier, stands by as a Saudi Arabian national guardsman sights an FIM-92A Stinger portable anti-aircraft missile launcher.JPEG|thumb|A Saudi Arabian national guardsman sights an [[FIM-92 Stinger|FIM-92A Stinger]] [[Man-portable air-defense system|man-portable anti-aircraft missile launcher]] under guidance of a US soldier, [[Gulf War|Desert Shield]].]]
The Saudi Arabian National Guard has a standing force of 125,000 troops and a tribal militia of some 28,000 Fouj (tribal levies).<ref name="adhrb.org"/> It serves both as a defence force against external attack and an internal security force. Its duties include protecting the [[House of Saud|Saudi ruling family]], guarding against military coups, safeguarding strategic facilities and resources, and providing security for the cities of [[Mecca]] and [[Medina]].

It reports directly to the king through the Minister of the National Guard and, unlike the army, navy and air force, is not under the control of the [[Ministry of Defense (Saudi Arabia)|Ministry of Defense]]. The Guard's command structure and communication network are entirely separate from those of the Ministries of Defense and the Interior.

Its personnel are drawn from tribes loyal to the king and the [[House of Saud|royal family]], whose high-ranking members are always appointed its commander. It has been described as an institution that "ties the tribes to the House of Saud" (by [[Sandra Mackey]]).<ref>[[Sandra Mackey|Mackey]], ''The Saudis: Inside the Desert Kingdom'', p. 207.</ref> It also draws recruits from official Wahhabi religious establishment.
<ref name=bradley-expo-69>{{cite book|author=John R. Bradley|title=Saudi Arabia Exposed: Inside a Kingdom in Crisis|url=https://archive.org/details/saudiarabiaexpos00brad|url-access=registration|date=2005|publisher=Palgrave
|page=[https://archive.org/details/saudiarabiaexpos00brad/page/69 69]
|isbn=9781403964335|quote=The National Guard, in contrast to the army, has institutionalized and cemented tribal, social, and religious ties in the kingdom because it is made up of young men drawn from the various ranks of the Bedu, tribes, and official Wahhabi religious establishment. Commanders, for instance, often head battalions largely made up of their own tribal cousins, which makes the leaders and their followers less susceptible to subversive ideas and outside ideologies. Since they and their families reap all of the benefits of being part of the state apparatus, they are supposed to have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. (p.69)
}}</ref> It differs from the army in that its officers command units (e.g. battalions) "largely made up of their own tribal cousins, which makes the leaders and their followers less susceptible to subversive ideas and outside ideologies."<ref name=bradley-expo-69/>

According to journalist [[John R. Bradley]], its leaders and their followers are 'supposed to have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo."<ref name=bradley-expo-69/> The force was extensively reorganised and retrained by the [[Vinnell|Vinnell Corporation]] (using over a thousand US&nbsp;[[Vietnam War]] veterans){{citation needed|date=November 2017}} in the 1980s. The United States' support for the SANG has been delivered both through private contractors and the [[U.S. army]]'s [[Office of the Program Manager, Saudi Arabian National Guard Modernization Program]].

==History==
[[File: A member of the 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, explains the M252 81mm mortar to Saudi Arabian national guardsmen.JPEG|thumb|Saudi Arabian National Guard training during the [[Gulf War|First Gulf War]].]]
[[File:Saudi soldiers, Mecca, 1979.JPG|thumb|SANG and Saudi soldiers during the [[Grand Mosque seizure|Grand mosque seizure]], 1979.]]

The SANG was founded as the successor to the [[Ikhwan]], the tribal army of [[Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud|King Abdulaziz]]. The Ikhwan had helped King Abdulaziz conquer the [[Arabian Peninsula]] and take it from the [[Hashimites]] in [[World War&nbsp;I]]. However, the Ikhwan committed many excesses and atrocities not just on the [[Kingdom of Hejaz|Hejazi]] [[Sharifian Army|Army]] but on other Arabs as well. The various tribal groups of the Ikhwan also had a tendency to go off and do their own things and thus needed to be brought under a more centralised control. The SANG acquired its moniker of the "White Army" during this period due to its wearing of traditional Arab dress instead of Western-style military uniforms. In 1954, the office of Jihad and Mujahidin was transformed into the modern National Guard.<ref>{{cite news|title=History of the Saudi National Guard|url=http://www.aawsat.net/2006/09/article55265322|access-date=5 April 2013|newspaper=Asharq Alawsat|date=11 September 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201195800/http://www.aawsat.net/2006/09/article55265322|archive-date=1 February 2014|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> It was called White Army until 1963 when a British military mission reorganized it.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Stephanie Cronin|title=Tribes, Coups and Princes: Building a Modern Army in Saudi Arabia|journal=Middle Eastern Studies|date=2013|volume=49|issue=1|pages=2–28|doi=10.1080/00263206.2012.743892|s2cid=143713882|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00263206.2012.743892|access-date=11 December 2020|archive-date=14 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230214213700/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00263206.2012.743892|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Training of the National Guard became the responsibility of the US [[Vinnell]] corporation in 1975. About 1,000 United States Vietnam veterans were initially recruited to serve in the long-term training program designed to convert the guard into a mobile and hard-hitting counterinsurgency force that could also reinforce the regular army if necessary. These contractors were supervised by a United States military group with the designation Office of the Program Manager—Saudi Arabian National Guard (OPM-SANG).

Extensive military infrastructure facilities have been built to ensure the comfort and well-being of national guard units. Their major cantonments were in [[Al-Ahsa Oasis]] near [[Al-Hufuf]] and the major oil installations of the [[Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia|Eastern Province]] and at [[Al-Qasim]] in the [[Nejd]], in an area where many of the tribal elements were recruited and most training was conducted. A large new housing project for guard personnel, with associated schools, shops, and mosques, has been constructed near [[Riyadh]], also the site of the guard's military academy, the [[King Khalid Military City|King Khalid Military College]]. Other National Guard military cities were located at [[At-Ta'if]], [[Dammam]], and [[Jeddah]], while a new headquarters complex was built in Riyadh in the early 1980s.

During the 1950s and early 1960s, the regular army and the national guard were both small and of roughly equal strength. The guard suffered when the army's expansion was given priority, but in the 1970s the decline was reversed when the guard was converted to a light mechanized force with the help of United States advisers. Initially consisting of four combined arms battalions, the active-duty component had by 1992 been enlarged to two mechanized brigades, each with four infantry battalions, an artillery battalion, and engineering and signals companies. The guard's mobility over desert terrain was assured by 1,100 [[Cadillac Gage Commando|Commando V-150]] armoured cars. Firepower came from 105&nbsp;mm and 155&nbsp;mm towed howitzers, 106&nbsp;mm recoilless rifles, 90mm guns and [[BGM-71 TOW]] platforms. In the 1990s, the V-150s were replaced in the mechanized battalions with over [[LAV-25]] Family of Vehicles bought from DDGM/GD in Canada.

The second component of the national guard, made up of tribal battalions under the command of local sheikhs, was organised into four infantry brigades (called the Fowj). These men, often the sons of local chiefs or of veterans of the original Ikhwan forces, reported for duty about once a month for the purpose of receiving stipends. They were provided with [[Heckler & Koch G3]] rifles, although many had individually acquired [[AK-47]]s and other automatic weapons. They also have radios and are equipped with Toyota pickup trucks or Land Rovers. Many units are stationed along the borders of the Kingdom and have the mission to patrol the border areas. Although neither particularly well trained nor well equipped, they could be counted on to be loyal to the House of Saud if called for service. Their enrollment in the guard was largely a means to bolster the subsidies paid to local shaykhs and to retain the support of their tribes.

The national guard's King Abdulaziz Mechanized Brigade was swiftly deployed to the border area after [[Gulf War|Iraq's invasion of Kuwait]] in 1990 and was actively engaged in the war, notably in the fighting to retake the town of [[Ra's al Khafji]]. After the war ended, it was reported that an enlargement of the national guard to eleven or twelve active brigades was contemplated. In addition, the ageing Commandos were to be replaced by more than 1,000 eight-wheeled [[LAV-25]]s and LAV variants manufactured by [[General Motors]] in Canada. The LAVs were to be mounted with a variety of armaments, such as 25&nbsp;mm autocannon, larger-calibre 90&nbsp;mm guns, 120mm mortars and TOW missile launchers.

==Command==
The Saudi Arabian National Guard's communications and chain of command maintained a separate network from regular Saudi Arabian military channels with a senior member of the royal family as its head. This structure was established by [[King Saud]] in 1956.<ref name=bru>{{cite thesis|author=Bruce R. Nardulli|title=Dance of Swords: U.S. Military Assistance to Saudi Arabia, 1942-1964|url=https://etd.ohiolink.edu/!etd.send_file?accession=osu1038586191&disposition=inline|location=The Ohio State University|access-date=13 September 2020|degree=PhD Thesis|date=2002}}{{Dead link|date=November 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Prior to 1956 the Guard was led by tribal sheikhs.<ref name=bru/> Following the 1956 reorganization the first royal, [[Khalid bin Saud]] who was King Saud's son, was assigned to command the Guard in July 1957.<ref name=bru/> In 1959 [[Saad bin Saud Al Saud|Saad bin Saud]], another son of King Saud, became the commander.<ref name=bru/>
[[File:King Abdullah, Commander of Saudi Arabian National Guard.jpg|thumb|King Abdullah, former King of Saudi Arabia, was the commander in the 1960s.]]
[[Abdullah of Saudi Arabia|King Abdullah]] commanded SANG for four decades, from 1962 until 17 November 2010 when he appointed his son, [[Mutaib bin Abdullah|Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah]], as the new commander.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/17/AR2010111704919.html|title=Saudi king transfers National Guard duties to son|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=17 November 2010}}{{dead link|date=June 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> In addition, three of his sons hold high positions within the organization. SANG's Deputy Commander was [[Badr bin Abdul Aziz|Prince Badr]] until 2010, who was a senior member of the [[Al&nbsp;Saud]]. Prince Mutaib was later arrested because of corruption and was imprisoned for a few months.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42161552|title=Saudi anti-corruption drive: Prince Miteb freed 'after $1bn deal'|work=BBC News|date=29 November 2017|access-date=5 February 2022|archive-date=16 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220116092723/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42161552|url-status=live}}</ref> Its general headquarters, located in [[Riyadh]], directly controlled the three regional sectors and the training facilities and the King Abdulaziz Independent Mechanized Brigade of four battalions.

The three regional (eastern, central, and western) sectors each command one or more mechanized or motorized brigades, several independent Security and [[Military Police]] and logistical battalions, but also the irregular ''[[fowj]]'' battalions.

==Structure==
The SANG was restructured with the help of the [[Vinnell Corporation]] into a light mechanized force equipped with over a thousand [[Cadillac Gage Commando]] [[armored fighting vehicle]]s (replaced with [[LAV-25]]s in the 1990s). Its mobile force consisted of three mechanized brigades and five motorized infantry brigades. The [[militia]] portion consists of around 24&nbsp;battalions of ''[[fowj]]'', tribal warriors on "retainer".

==Brigades==
The twenty one SANG brigades include:
* King Abdulaziz Mechanized Brigade (KAAMB), the second of the original mechanized brigades formed in the late 1970s with Cadillac-Gage V-150 vehicles. These were replaced in the 1990s by the more-capable LAV series of tactical vehicles. This was also the brigade that fought at the [[Battle of Khafji]]. Its reported garrison in early 1991 was [[Al Hofuf]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Martin Stanton|title=Somalia on $5 a Day: A Soldier's Story|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rfdPEgTI4VYC&pg=PT4|date=12 March 2009|publisher=Random House Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-307-54699-9|page=4|access-date=11 December 2020|archive-date=14 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230214213700/https://books.google.com/books?id=rfdPEgTI4VYC&pg=PT4|url-status=live}}</ref>
* King Faisal Light Infantry Brigade (KFB) based in Medina
* King Khalid Light Infantry Brigade's strength is unknown
* Prince Mohammad bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud Light Infantry Brigade
* Imam Muhammad bin Saud Mechanized Brigade (IMBSMB) the first of two mechanized brigades created in the late 1970s with Cadillac-Gage V-150 vehicles. These were replaced in the 1990s by the more-capable LAV series of tactical vehicles. 
* Prince Saad bin Abdul Rahman Mechanized Brigade (PSARMB)was formed in the late 1990s and equipped with LAV series of tactical vehicles
* Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz Mechanized Brigade (PTAMB) was formed by 2006 and equipped with LAV series of tactical vehicles
* King Saud Light Infantry Brigade (KSB) based in Jeddah
* Omar bin Khattab light infantry brigade based in al-Taif

The two original motorized brigades, IMBSMB and KAAMB, had V-150 Commando armored cars, M‑102 howitzers (IMBS) and 155&nbsp;mm M‑198 [[howitzer]]s, plus [[BGM-71 TOW|TOW]] [[Anti-tank missile|anti-tank guided missile system]]s in the anti-tank platoons of the line motorized companies; two in each company in the IMBS and six in the KAAB. The two brigades each had a headquarters company, four-line motorized battalions, a [[field artillery]] battalion, a support battalion, and air defense, signals, and engineers companies.<ref name=Stanton>{{citation|author=Martin N. Stanton|title=The Saudi Arabian National Guard Motorized Brigades |url=https://www.knox.army.mil/center/ocoa/armormag/backissues/1990s/1996/ma96/2saudi96.pdf|work=Armor magazine |date=March–April 1996|pages=6–11}}{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

==Regions==
===Central===
Riyadh Regional Headquarters controlled:
* Imam Muhammad bin Saud Mechanized Brigade (IMBS), which controls four battalions (1st–4th) as well as the 1st SANG Artillery Battalion, and is based in Riyadh
* Prince Saad Abdulrahman Mechanized Brigade (PSAR), which controls four combined-armed battalions, and is based in Riyadh
* Turki Mechanized Brigade was reported to be in formation in 2002. As of 2006, it remains uncertain as to how developed this unit is.
* King Khalid Light Infantry Brigade's strength is unknown
* Ceremonial Cavalry Squadron
* [[King Khalid Military College]]
* Military Police battalion
* 1st Special Security Brigade based in Riyadh
* 1st Rapid Deployment Special Brigade 
* Irregular (Fowj) tribal regiments

===Eastern===
Eastern Regional Headquarters, which is located in Dammam, controlled:
* King Abdulaziz Mechanized Brigade (KAAB), was in information in 2002, but its strength and organization is still unknown. Stanton, writing in 1996, identified this brigade as the King Abdul Aziz Brigade, stationed in [[Hofuf]] south of Dammam. It comprised the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Combined Arms Battalions and the 2nd Artillery Battalion (155mm [[M198 howitzer|M-198]] towed howitzers).<ref name="Stanton"/>
* Prince Mohammad bin Abdulrahman al-Saud Light Infantry Brigade
* Military Police battalion
* 3rd Special Security Brigade based in Dammam
* 3rd Rapid Deployment Special Brigade 
* Irregular (Fowj) tribal regiments

===Western===
Western Regional Headquarters, which is located in Jeddah, controlled:
* King Saud Light Infantry Brigade (KSB) based in Jeddah
* King Faisal Light Infantry Brigade (KFB) based in Medina
* Khalifa Omar bin Khattab Light Infantry Brigade (KOKB) based in Taif
* Military Police battalion
* 2nd Special Security Brigade based in Jeddah
* 2nd Rapid Deployment Special Brigade 
* Irregular (Fowj) tribal regiments

==Other units==
===National Guard Aviation===
* [[Dirab Air Base]] - Center of Excellence and Aviation Training Brigade<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scramble.nl/planning/orbats/saudi-arabia/saudi-arabian-national-guard#OE03623|title=Saudi Arabian National Guard - Riyadh/Dirab (--)|publisher=Scramble.nl|access-date=15 December 2022|archive-date=15 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215210438/https://scramble.nl/planning/orbats/saudi-arabia/saudi-arabian-national-guard#OE03623|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Khasm Alan Air Base]] - 1st Aviation Brigade<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scramble.nl/planning/orbats/saudi-arabia/saudi-arabian-national-guard#OEKA623|title=Saudi Arabian National Guard - Riyadh/Khasm Alan (OEKA)|publisher=Scramble.nl|access-date=15 December 2022|archive-date=15 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215210438/https://scramble.nl/planning/orbats/saudi-arabia/saudi-arabian-national-guard#OEKA623|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Al Hofuf Air Base]] - 2nd Aviation Brigade<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scramble.nl/planning/orbats/saudi-arabia/saudi-arabian-national-guard#OE02623|title=Saudi Arabian National Guard - Al Hofuf (--)|publisher=Scramble.nl|access-date=15 December 2022|archive-date=15 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215210438/https://scramble.nl/planning/orbats/saudi-arabia/saudi-arabian-national-guard#OE02623|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[King Abdulaziz International Airport|Prince Abdullah Air Base]] - 3rd Aviation Brigade<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scramble.nl/planning/orbats/saudi-arabia/saudi-arabian-national-guard#OEJN623|title=Saudi Arabian National Guard - Jeddah/Prince Abdullah Air Base (OEJN)|publisher=Scramble.nl|access-date=15 December 2022|archive-date=15 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215210438/https://scramble.nl/planning/orbats/saudi-arabia/saudi-arabian-national-guard#OEJN623|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Independent battalions===
* In addition to the battalions under the control of the three regional headquarters, SANG has four independent light infantry battalions, which appear to be dedicated to protecting facilities and installations<ref>Tartter (1993)</ref>{{failed verification|date=September 2022}}

[[File:Saudi National Guard.png|thumb|center|800px|The Saudi Arabian National Guard Structure (click to enlarge).]]
[[File:8 SANG Brigades.jpg|center|thumb|784x784px]]

===Tribal militia===
The second component of the national guard is the ''Fowj'' (Arabic:فَيْج (also fayj) "legman, courier; company"),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D9%81%D9%88%D8%AC|title=فوج - Wiktionary|website=en.wiktionary.org|access-date=10 March 2019|archive-date=5 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230205232248/https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D9%81%D9%88%D8%AC|url-status=live}}</ref> made up of [[Bedouin#Saudi Arabia|Bedouin tribal]] (militia) battalions under the command of local [[sheikh]]s. These men, often the sons of local chiefs or of veterans of the original Ikhwan forces, reported for duty about once a month for the purpose of receiving stipends. They were provided with obsolete rifles, although many had individually acquired [[Kalashnikov rifle|Kalashnikov]] assault rifles. Although neither particularly well trained nor well equipped, they could be counted on to be loyal to the House of Saud if called for service. Their enrollment in the guard is largely a means to bolster the subsidies paid to local sheikhs and to retain the support of their tribes.<ref>Saudi Arabia: A Country Study, Federal Research Division, Library of Congress</ref> The Fowj is currently organized into 27 battalions with approximately 27,000 men.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usasac.army.mil/opmsang/about.html|title=About OPM SANG |access-date=10 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626003717/http://www.usasac.army.mil/OPMSang/about.html|archive-date=26 June 2018 |url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Uniforms==
Uniforms worn by personnel of Saudi Arabia's national guard are closely patterned on the British and United States models that influenced them during their early development. The most common uniform colors are khaki or olive drab. Officers had semidress uniforms for various functions and dress uniforms for formal occasions. All personnel wear berets, and officers also have [[peaked cap]]s.<ref name=lcweb2.loc.gov>{{cite web|url=http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd%2Fcstdy%3A%40field%28DOCID+sa0128%29|title=Archived copy|access-date=3 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090110100634/http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd%2Fcstdy%3A%40field%28DOCID+sa0128%29|archive-date=10 January 2009|url-status=bot: unknown|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
[[File:Saudi security forces on parade - Flickr - Al Jazeera English (12).jpg|thumb|SANG members run past wearing the three color [[Desert DPM]].]]
When in modern uniforms personnel wear a red beret. British three color British [[Desert DPM|Desert pattern DPM]]<ref>Armies of the Gulf War, Elite 45, Osprey Publishing 1993, Gordon L Rottman, {{ISBN|185532 277 3}}</ref> used throughout the [[Middle East]], American [[Desert Camouflage Uniform]] (DCU), used in Iraq and other desert regions throughout the [[Middle East and North Africa]] (MENA) regions. Some units still wear the American [[Desert Battle Dress Uniform]] of which a Saudi grey variant is worn by SANG security guards. 
These are being replaced by several new digital or pixelated camouflage designs with an embedded Saudi Arabian National Guard crest.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://camopedia.org/index.php?title=Saudi_Arabia|title=Saudi Arabia - Camopedia|website=camopedia.org|access-date=2 June 2019|archive-date=13 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113150710/http://camopedia.org/index.php?title=Saudi_Arabia|url-status=live}}</ref> National guardsmen often wear the traditional red-checkered [[keffiyeh]] Arab headdress. Tribal units often wear the [[thawb]] with crossed [[bandolier]]s.<ref name="lcweb2.loc.gov"/>

==Equipment==
[[File:Saudi V-150 Commando.jpg|thumbnail|250px|A Saudi [[Cadillac Gage Commando|V-150]] in 1991]]
The SANG is not, by tradition, issued equipment not used by the regular military; it does not possess any tanks but has several thousand wheeled [[armored fighting vehicles]] and [[armoured personnel carrier]]s. It possesses its own [[helicopter]]s and light aircraft and all the remaining types of military hardware including artillery.

A$2.2&nbsp;billion foreign military sale contract delivered 724 [[LAV‑II]] 8×8&nbsp;wheeled [[armored personnel carrier]]s in ten different varieties in 2001.

In December 2012, the Saudi National Guard ordered 68 French Multi-Purpose Combat Vehicle (MPCV) air-defense vehicles.<ref>[http://www.armyrecognition.com/december_2012_new_army_military_defence_industry/saudi_arabia_national_guard_ordered_68_mpcv_air_defense_vehicles_from_french_company_lohr.html Saudi Arabia National Guard ordered 68 MPCV air defense vehicles] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121230234505/http://www.armyrecognition.com/december_2012_new_army_military_defence_industry/saudi_arabia_national_guard_ordered_68_mpcv_air_defense_vehicles_from_french_company_lohr.html |date=30 December 2012}} – Army Recognition, 26 December 2012</ref>
In September 2014, 24 [[Boeing AH-6|Boeing AH-6i Little Bird]] light attack and reconnaissance helicopters were ordered from [[Boeing Rotorcraft Systems|Boeing]] with deliveries to begin in 2016.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.janes.com/article/55163/saudi-ah-6i-deliveries-to-begin-mid-2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304065953/http://www.janes.com/article/55163/saudi-ah-6i-deliveries-to-begin-mid-2016|archive-date=4 March 2016|title=Saudi AH-6i deliveries to begin mid-2016|date=11 October 2015| author=Gareth Jennings|work=Janes Defence Weekly|access-date=30 March 2017}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|- 
!style="width:9%;"|Model!!style="width:9%;"|Image!!style="width:10%;"|Origin!!style="width:4%;"|Variant!!Quantity!!Details
|-
! colspan="6" style="align: center; background: lavender;" | '''[[Small arms]]'''
|-
| [[FN Five-Seven]] || [[File:FN5701.jpg|150px]] || {{BEL}} ||  ||  || Standard issue pistol.
|-
| [[FN P90]] || [[File:FN P90 PDW.jpg|150px]] || {{BEL}} ||  ||  || 
|-
| [[Heckler & Koch MP5]] || [[File:MP5.jpg|150px]] || {{FRG}}<br>{{SAU}} ||  ||  ||  
|-
| [[AK-47]] || [[File:AK47.jpg|150px]] || {{USSR}} || ||  || Used by tribal militias of the National Guard.
|-
| [[Heckler & Koch G36]] || [[File:Gewehr G36 noBG.jpg|150px]] || {{GER}}<br>{{SAU}} ||  ||  ||  
|-
| [[FN FAL]] || [[File:FN-FAL belgian.jpeg|150px]] || {{BEL}} ||  ||  || Used for ceremonial purposes.
|-
| [[FN F2000]] || [[File:FN F2000S.JPG|150px]] || {{BEL}} ||  ||  || 
|-
| [[FN Minimi]] || [[File:FN MINIMI Standard Right.jpg|150px]] || {{BEL}}  ||  ||  || 
|-
| [[FN MAG]] || [[File:FN MAG.jpg|150px]] || {{BEL}} ||  ||  || 
|-
| [[Vektor SS-77]] || [[File:24- Saudi Border Guards Machine Gun (My Trip To Al-Jenadriyah 32).jpg|150px]] || {{RSA}} ||  ||  || 
|-
| [[WKW Wilk]] (Tor) || [[File:WKW Wilk.jpg|150px]] || {{POL}} || || <15 ||
|-
! colspan="6" style="align: center; background: lavender;" | '''Explosives, anti-tank weapons'''
|-
| [[RPG-7]] || [[File:RPG-7V1 grenade launcher - RaceofHeroes-part2-22.jpg|150px]] || {{USSR}} || ||  || 
|-
| [[FN F2000#Grenade launcher|FN GL1]] || [[File:FN GL1.png|150px]] || {{BEL}} ||  ||  || Attaches to the rifle.
|-
| [[Mk 19 grenade launcher|Mk 19]] || [[File:MK19-02.jpg|150px]] || {{USA}} || ||  || 
|-
! colspan="6" style="align: center; background: lavender;" | '''[[Armored personnel carrier]]s'''
|- valign="top"
| [[LAV III]] || [[File:LAV III.JPG|150px]] || {{CAN}} || || 19<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2012/02/23/canadian-arms-exports-hit-12-billion-last-year-4-billion-sent-to-saudi-arabia/|title=Canadian arms exports hit 12 billion last year 4 billion sent to Saudi Arabia|work=Ottawa Citizen|access-date=15 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227160149/http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2012/02/23/canadian-arms-exports-hit-12-billion-last-year-4-billion-sent-to-saudi-arabia/|archive-date=27 February 2012|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> || 900 LAV 6.0 on order. Some of the 900 combat vehicles will be fitted with a 105&nbsp;mm anti-tank cannon known as the Cockerill CT-CV 105H and the rest will be fitted with a CPWS 20-25-30 which can be armed from a 20&nbsp;mm to a 30&nbsp;mm auto-cannon.
|- valign="top"
| [[Al-Fahd Infantry fighting vehicle|Al-Fahd]] || || {{SAU}} || || 100 || First indigenously designed APC.
|- valign="top"
| [[Mowag Piranha|Piranha II]] || [[File:USMC-110624-M-VS676-027.jpg|150px]] || {{flag|Switzerland}} || || 1,117 || 172 more on order.
|-
| [[LAV-25]] || [[File:Light Armored Vehicle.JPG|150px]] || {{USA}}
|Multiple variants
|N/A
|
|-
|[[LAV II]]
|
|{{CAN}}
|ten different varieties
|724
|
|-
|[[Cadillac Gage Commando]] 
|[[File:Cadillac Gage Commando.JPEG|150px]]
|{{USA}}
| V-150S
|579+
|between 7 and 10 of the Saudi V-150s were destroyed when they were used against Iraq 
|- valign="top"
| [[EE-11 Urutu]] || [[File:Cavalaria (29033814280).jpg|150px]] || {{BRA}} || || 20 || 
|- valign="top"
| Al-Naif || || {{KSA}} || || || 
|-
! colspan="6" style="align: center; background: lavender;" | '''Artillery'''
|- valign="top"
| [[CAESAR self-propelled howitzer|CAESAR]] || [[File:CAESAR-openphotonet PICT6026.JPG|150px]] || {{FRA}} || ||  156<ref name="IISS2022">{{cite book |last1=International Institute for Strategic Studies |title=The military balance. 2022 |date=2022 |location=Abingdon, Oxon |isbn=978-1032279008 |page=368 |author1-link=International Institute for Strategic Studies }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Trade Registers |url=https://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/trade_register.php |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=armstrade.sipri.org}}</ref>||
|-
! colspan="6" |[[Aircraft]]
|-
|[[Boeing AH-64 Apache]]
||[[File:8- Saudi Arabian National Guard AH-64 Apache (My Trip To Al-Jenadriyah 32).jpg|150px]]
||{{USA}} || ||36 ||12 + 24 on order
|-
|[[Boeing AH-6]]
||[[File:17- Saudi Arabian National Guard AH-6 Little Bird (My Trip To Al-Jenadriyah 32).jpg|150px]] || {{USA}} || || 24<ref name=SIPRI>{{cite web |title=Trade Registers |url=https://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/trade_register.php |website=SIPRI Arms Transfers Database |access-date=7 May 2023}}</ref> ||
|-
||[[Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk]]
||[[File:4- Saudi Arabian National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk (My Trip To Al-Jenadriyah 32).jpg|150px]] || {{USA}} ||UH-60M ||48 ||72 order. 3 batches of 24. Introduced during 2015.<ref name="AFMMAY22-18">{{cite book|title=[[AirForces Monthly]]|date=May 2022|publisher=[[Key Publishing|Key Publishing Ltd]]|location=[[Stamford, Lincolnshire|Stamford]], [[Lincolnshire]], [[England]]|pages=18}}</ref>
|-
! colspan="6" style="align: center; background: lavender;" | '''[[Air Defense]]'''
|- valign="top"
| MPCV || [[File:MPCV turret.png|150px]] || {{FRA}} || || 68<ref name="IISS2022" /> ||
|-
| [[MICA (missile)|VL-MICA]] || [[File:MBDA MICA VL Lanceur terrestre Paris Air Show 2015.JPG|150px]] || {{FRA}} || || 5<ref name="IISS2022" /> ||
|-
| [[M167 VADS]] || [[File:JASDF_VADS1_Kai_in_Hamamatsu_Air_Base_20140928-01.JPG|150px]] || {{USA}} || || 30<ref name="IISS2022" />||
|}

==Ranks==

;Officers
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armed Forces/OF/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OF/Saudi Arabia (National Guard)}}
|}

;Enlisted
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OR/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OR/Saudi Arabia (National Guard)}}
|}

==2013 reorganization==
The SANG was transformed into a ministerial body on 27 May 2013.<ref name=asharq28may>{{cite news|title=King Abdullah transforms National Guard into ministry|url=http://www.aawsat.net/2013/05/article55303379|access-date=29 May 2013|newspaper=Asharq Alawsat|date=28 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130608045800/http://www.aawsat.net/2013/05/article55303379|archive-date=8 June 2013|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Prince [[Mutaib bin Abdullah]], former commander of the SANG, became the minister of national guard on the same day.<ref name=asharq28may/> On 4 November 2017, Prince Mutaib was replaced by Prince {{ill|Khalid bin Abdulaziz bin Eyaf Al Saud|ar|خالد بن عبد العزيز بن محمد بن عياف آل مقرن}} (until December 2018)<ref>{{cite news|title=Minister of National Guard, Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah removed from his position|url=https://www.alarabiya.net/ar/mob/saudi-today/2017/11/04/أمر-ملكي-اعفاء-وزير-الحرس-الوطني-الأمير-متعب-بن-عبدالله-.html|access-date=5 November 2017|work=Al Arabiya|date=4 Nov 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107014802/https://www.alarabiya.net/ar/mob/saudi-today/2017/11/04/%D8%A3%D9%85%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%84%D9%83%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D8%B9%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%86%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%A8-%D8%A8%D9%86-%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87-.html|archive-date=7 November 2017|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==References==

{{Reflist|25em}}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==Sources==
* Mackey, Sandra. ''The Saudis: Inside the Desert Kingdom''. Updated Edition. Norton Paperback. [[W.W. Norton and Company]], New York. 2002 (first edition: 1987). {{ISBN|0-393-32417-6}} pbk.
*{{country study|country=Saudi Arabia|abbr=sa|section=Saudi Arabian National Guard|author=Jean R. Tartter|editor=Helen Chapin Metz|editor-link=Helen Chapin Metz |year=1993}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[http://www.sang.gov.sa/Languages/English/Pages/Default.aspx Official site]
*[http://www.ngha.med.sa/ SANG Health Affairs official site]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20010516221405/http://www.opmsang.sppn.af.mil/ Office of the Program Manager, Saudi Arabian National Guard Modernization Program – OPM-SANG]

{{Saudi Arabia Military}}
{{Saudi security forces}}
{{Saudi Arabia topics}}
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