Saudi Arabian National Guard

Officially charged with guarding the Two Holy Places of Mecca and Medina, the Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG) is actually the force most trusted by the House of Saud for its protection. It is a true military force, but ground-oriented and more lightly armed than the conventional military forces under the Saudi Ministry of Defense and Aviation.

The SANG draws its personnel primarily from Bedouin traditionally loyal to the monarchy, where the conventional forces, often needing people with more technical education, draws from urban areas.

Much of its training is by Western contractors. On November 14, 1995, one of its training facilities, the U.S. Project Management Office (PMO) in Riyadh was bombed in the 1995 SANG-PMO bombing, killing Americans and Saudis.