Taif, Mar 31, 2022, SPA -- On behalf of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Minister of Defense patronized the graduation ceremony of the 19th batch of cadets from King Abdullah Air Defense College and the 22nd batch of the qualification course for university officers at the college headquarters in the Taif governorate, in the presence of a number of ministers, senior officials, military attaches to the Kingdom and the parents of the cadets. Upon his arrival at the college headquarters, the Deputy Minister of Defense was received by the Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant-General Fayyad bin Hamid Al-Ruwaili; the Commander of the Air Defense Forces, Lieutenant-General Mazyad bin Suleiman Al-Amro and the Commander of Taif region, Major General Mohammed bin Mushabab Al-Qahtani. Immediately after his arrival the royal anthem was played and verses from the Holy Qur’an were recited. Then, the Commander of King Abdullah Air Defense College, Major General Mohammed bin Ali Al-Balawi, delivered a speech in which he valued the patronage of Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Minister of Defense for the graduation ceremony of the 19th batch and 22nd batch of the qualification course for university officers as well as his participation in the cadets' rejoice and happiness at graduating and joining the fields of glory and honor in the Air Defense Forces, after spending three years of study and qualification, during which they gained various source of knowledge and the latest means of education and training. He added that the college annually receives a number of students from fraternally and friendly countries, as this course included students from the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Republic of Mauritania, the Republic of Djibouti, the Republic of Yemen and the Republic of Sudan. At the conclusion of the ceremony, memorial photos were taken, then the royal anthem was played. --SPA 03:44 LOCAL TIME 00:44 GMT 0004 www.spa.gov.sa/w1714934