Prince Akishino, son of Emperor of Japan received at his palace in Tokyo Thursday, Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Deputy Minister of Defense, who is currently on a several-day official visit to Japan.

During the reception, Prince Akishino welcomed Prince Khalid bin Sultan and exchanged cordial talks.

Earlier Thursday, Prince Khalid bin Sultan, paid two visits to both the Kawasaki company and the National Institute for Defense Studies (NIDS) in Tokyo.

During the two visits, a number of issues of common interest were discussed.

In his visits, Prince Khalid bin Sultan was accompanied by Saudi Ambassador to Japan Dr. Abdulaziz Abdulsattar Turkistani; members of the official delegation accompanying him; Saudi Military Attaché to Japan, Brigadier Abdurrahman Sanhat Al-Harbi, and the Japanese Military Attaché in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Prince Khalid is the eldest son of Crown Prince Sultan (Ex Defense Minister & Crown Heir). He was born in 1949. He attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and the US Army's Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. He is also a graduate of the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama.

After a lengthy tenure in different branches of Saudi Arabia's Armed Forces, Prince-General Khalid was named Commander of the Joint Forces during Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. He was promoted to Field Marshal by his uncle, King Fahd, after the campaign.

Prince Khalid retired in 1991 to concentrate on business. Returning to government service in January 2001, Prince Khalid was appointed the Assistant Defense Minister for Military Affairs.

In November 2009, Saudi Military Forces under Khalid bin Sultan intervened in the civil war in neighboring Yemen. His leadership during the recent skirmishes against rebels in the border area with Yemen was marked by a series of tactical blunders.