The Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG; الحرس الوطني, al-Ḥaras al-Waṭanī), also known as the White Army, is a separate military force of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is not part of the Saudi Arabian Defense Forces, due to its specific role as a counterbalance to the regular military. It serves both as defense force against external threats and as a security force against internal threats. Its duties include protecting the royal family, guarding against coups, protecting strategic facilities and resources, and protecting the Holy Places of Mecca and Medina.
It is both a standing force of 125,000, with a tribal militia of 25,000. The SANG is the King’s private army consisting of personnel drawn from tribes loyal to the King and Royal Family. It is always commanded by a high ranking member of the royal family. The force was extensively reorganized and retrained by the Vinnell Corporation (using over a thousand US Vietnam War veterans) in the 1980s and performed well in the Persian Gulf War/Operation Desert Storm especially in the battle for Khafji.
U.S. support continues, delivered both through private contractors and the United States Army’s Office of the Program Manager Saudi Arabian National Guard Modernization Program.
Source: Wikipedia
