Al-Balawi is new Border Guard chief

The Interior Ministry has appointed a new director-general of the Border Guard.
Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, second deputy premier and minister of interior, announced recently that Maj. Gen. Awad bin Eid Al-Balawi would be placed in this position.
Al-Balawi was appointed acting director-general of the Border Guard in August 2014 following the death of Gen. Zamim Al-Sawat. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Pakistan Naval Academy and master’s degree from the World Maritime University in Sweden.
Al-Balawi previously held various other positions, completed several advanced training courses and attended local and international conferences on conflict management, negotiation skills, problem analysis, crisis environmental management, decision making and piracy.
He also served as the chairman of the standing committee for the management of maritime disasters and participated in the work of international committees fighting piracy.
Al-Balawi was also a member of the Saudi delegation at International Maritime Organization meetings.
Al-Balawi thanked Prince Mohammed bin Naif for appointing him the chief the Border Guard, which is the premier security agency protecting the country’s borders. He said he is now “more motivated to serve Islam, the king and the Kingdom.”
The Border Guard, based in Riyadh, maintains security on the Kingdom’s 8,000-km sea and land borders. It consists of several key departments and subsidiaries and nine affiliated commands in Makkah, Madinah, Eastern Province, Tabuk, Jazan, Northern Border, Asir, Al-Jouf and Najran.