Thamer bin Sabhan Al-Sabhan

Thamer bin Sabhan Al-Sabhan has been the Saudi minister of state for Arabian Gulf affairs since October 2016. Prior to that, he was the ambassador to Iraq from 2015. He also served as Saudi Arabia’s military attaché in Lebanon in 2014 and 2015 and the assistant military attaché in 2014 and 2012. Al-Sabhan served in several positions as a platoon leader at the Saudi Special Armed Forces including the rapid intervention force.

He completed his bachelor’s degree in military science at King Abdul Aziz Military College in Riyadh in 1988.

He received his master’s degree in police and security sciences at Naif Arab University for Security Sciences in Riyadh in 2007. He also received another master’s degree in command and staff from Jordan in 2008.

He was awarded the Kuwait Liberation Medal and the Order of Excellence and Merit from the US Defense Department, and the Desert Storm operational medal from the Saudi Defense Ministry. Al-Sabhan welcomed the establishment of the Syrian Constitutional Committee during his participation in the high-level meeting on the political solution in Syria.

He also supported the political process to put an end to the Syrian crisis, which is based on Security Council Resolution 2254 in order to preserve the territorial integrity of Syria.

Al-Sabhan pointed out that the Kingdom is working with the countries of the small group to support the efforts of the UN envoy Geir Pederson.