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Saudi Armed Forces Command and Staff College to Become National Defense University

The Saudi Armed Forces Command and Staff College boasts a rich history dating back to 1958 - SPA
The Saudi Armed Forces Command and Staff College boasts a rich history dating back to 1958 - SPA
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Saudi Armed Forces Command and Staff College to Become National Defense University

The Saudi Armed Forces Command and Staff College boasts a rich history dating back to 1958 - SPA
The Saudi Armed Forces Command and Staff College boasts a rich history dating back to 1958 - SPA

The Saudi Armed Forces Command and Staff College is undergoing a significant transformation to become the National Defense University, SPA reported.
The transformation process follows a well-defined, scientific methodology that aligns with the ministry's strategic goals. It encompasses five key stages: establishing the groundwork for change within the college, conducting a comprehensive analysis of the current situation, benchmarking against leading international models, designing the university's structure and programs, and preparing for its operational launch.
The official launch of the new name, National Defense University, is expected soon. The university's vision is to become a preeminent regional institution by 2030, renowned for preparing and qualifying both military and civilian leaders in the field of defense and national security. It will achieve this vision through innovative and effective educational programs designed to serve the best interests of the Kingdom.

- A Legacy of Excellence in Military Education

The Saudi Armed Forces Command and Staff College boasts a rich history dating back to 1958, when it was established as "the institute of great officers". Its mission was to train and qualify Saudi Arabian Army officers for command and staff duties. Over the years, the institute underwent several name changes: "the institute of senior officers" and "the Saudi command and staff college", reflecting its evolving role and expanding scope.

A pivotal moment arrived in 1388 AH with the issuance of a Royal Decree that transformed the college into a more comprehensive institution: "the Saudi command and staff college". This change addressed the growing need for highly qualified officers with strong leadership skills and advanced planning capabilities.
The college's journey of continuous improvement included renaming to Saudi Armed Forces Command and Staff College and relocating to a new campus in Al-Uyaynah, in 1405 AH. This modern facility, featuring a command building, educational facilities, war exercise centers, a printing press, housing units, and dedicated student and staff services, is testimony to the commitment to providing a world-class learning environment.
Further advancements followed in 1430 AH with the establishment of the War Wing, dedicated to training officers strategically and operationally.
Recognizing the value of research and strategic studies, the college inaugurated the Armed Forces Strategic Studies Center in 1436 AH.

- Pioneering Institution with a Global Reach

For over six decades, the Armed Forces Command and Staff College has played a pivotal role in shaping military thought in Saudi Arabia, under the motto "Science, Thought, Planning". It has provided military education and training to a distinguished group of officers from the Saudi Armed Forces, other military and security sectors, and from other nations.
The college offers a diverse range of academic programs, including master's degrees in strategic studies and military sciences, a course in joint operations planning, and diplomas in critical areas such as national security, strategic leadership, military media, and international humanitarian law.
The college's transformation into the National Defense University marks a new chapter in its history of dedication to excellence. It enables the institution to continue serving the Kingdom's national security needs well into the future.

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Culture

Brick by Brick, Morocco Rebuilds 12th-Century Mosque Destroyed by 2023 Earthquake

A construction worker unveils recovered pieces from the Great Mosque of Tinmel, which dates back to the 12th century and suffered significant damage during a 2023 earthquake, in the Atlas mountain village of Tinmel, outside of Marrakech, Morocco, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. (AP)
A construction worker unveils recovered pieces from the Great Mosque of Tinmel, which dates back to the 12th century and suffered significant damage during a 2023 earthquake, in the Atlas mountain village of Tinmel, outside of Marrakech, Morocco, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. (AP)
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Brick by Brick, Morocco Rebuilds 12th-Century Mosque Destroyed by 2023 Earthquake

A construction worker unveils recovered pieces from the Great Mosque of Tinmel, which dates back to the 12th century and suffered significant damage during a 2023 earthquake, in the Atlas mountain village of Tinmel, outside of Marrakech, Morocco, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. (AP)
A construction worker unveils recovered pieces from the Great Mosque of Tinmel, which dates back to the 12th century and suffered significant damage during a 2023 earthquake, in the Atlas mountain village of Tinmel, outside of Marrakech, Morocco, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. (AP)

The hand-carved domes and brick-laid arches had almost all been put back together when an earthquake shook Morocco so violently that they caved in on themselves and crashed to the earth.

After nearly 900 years, the Great Mosque of Tinmel lay in pieces — its minaret toppled, its prayer hall full of rubble, its outer walls knocked over.

But even in ruins, it remained holy ground for the residents of Tinmel. Villagers carried the sheet-laden bodies of the 15 community members killed in the quake down the hillside and placed them in front of the decimated mosque.

Among the mourners was Mohamed Hartatouch, who helped carry the remains of his son Abdelkrim. A 33-year-old substitute teacher, he died under bricks and collapsed walls while the village waited a day and a half for rescue crews to arrive.

“It looked like a storm. I wasn’t able to feel anything,” the grieving father said, remembering the day after the quake.

One year later, the rubble near Hartatouch’s half-standing home has been swept aside and Tinmel residents are eager to rebuild their homes and the mosque. They say the sacred site is a point of pride and source of income in a region where infrastructure and jobs were lacking long before the earthquake hit.

“It’s our past,” Redwan Aitsalah, a 32-year-old construction worker, said the week before the earthquake’s anniversary as he reconstructed his home overlooking the mosque.

The September 2023 quake left a path of destruction that will take Morocco years to recover from. It killed nearly 3,000 people, knocked down almost 60,000 homes and leveled at least 585 schools. The damage will cost about $12.3 billion to rebuild, according to government estimates.

Stretches of road were left unnavigable, including Tizi N’Test, the steep mountain pass that weaves from Marrakech to Tinmel and some of the hardest-hit villages near the earthquake’s epicenter.

Workers are now sifting through the rubble searching for the mosque's puzzle pieces. They are stacking useable bricks and sorting the fragments of remaining decorative elements arch by arch and dome by dome, preparing to rebuild the mosque using as much of the remains as possible.

Hassan Ait Ali Ouhamous, a religious scholar from the region of Al-Haouz, inspects restoration works at the Great Mosque of Tinmel, which dates back to the 12th century and suffered significant damage during a 2023 earthquake, in the Atlas mountain village of Tinmel, outside of Marrakech, Morocco, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. (AP)

Though incomparable to the human loss and suffering, the restoration effort is among Morocco’s priorities as it attempts to rebuild.

The country’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Ministry of Culture have recruited Moroccan architects, archaeologists and engineers to oversee the project. To assist, the Italian government has sent Moroccan-born architect Aldo Giorgio Pezzi, who had also consulted on Casablanca’s Hassan II Mosque, one of Africa's largest.

“We will rebuild it based on the evidence and remains that we have so it returns to how it was,” Morocco’s Minister of Islamic Affairs Ahmed Toufiq told The Associated Press.

The Great Mosque was a marvel of North African architecture with lobed arches, hand-carved moldings and the adobe-style bricks made of rammed earth used to construct most the area’s structures.

It was undergoing an 18-month-long restoration project when the quake struck, causing its ornate domes and pillars to cave in. Its clay-colored remnants lay in pieces beneath scaffolding erected by restoration workers from villages throughout the region, five of whom also died.

“The mosque withstood centuries. It’s the will of God,” Nadia El Bourakkadi, the site’s conservationist, told local media. The temblor leveled it months before repairs and renovations were to be completed.

Like in many of the area’s villages, residents of Tinmel today live in plastic tents brought in as temporary shelter post-earthquake. Some are there because it feels safer than their half-ruined homes, others because they have nowhere else to go.

Officials have issued more than 55,000 reconstruction permits for villagers to build new homes, including for most of the homes in Tinmel. The government has distributed financial aid in phases. Most households with destroyed homes have received an initial $2,000 installment of rebuilding aid, but not more.

Despite the extent of their personal losses, Moroccans are also mourning the loss of revered cultural heritage. Centuries-old mosques, shrines, fortresses and lodges are scattered throughout the mountains.

The country sees Tinmel as the cradle of one of its most storied civilizations. The mosque served as a source of inspiration for widely visited sacred sites in Marrakech and Seville. Pilgrims once trekked through the High Atlas to pay their respects and visit. Yet centuries ago, it fell into disrepair as political power shifted to Morocco’s larger cities and coastline.

“It was abandoned by the state, but materials were never taken from it,” said Mouhcine El Idrissi, an archaeologist working with Morocco’s Ministry of Culture. “People here have long respected it as a witness to their glorious and spiritual past.”