- Retired Major General Faleh bin Mohammed bin Manawir Al-Dhahiri has died at 86, in Jeddah
- As a brigadier general, he led the operation that ended the 1979 siege of Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) in Makkah
- He later served as commander of King Abdulaziz Military College, among other senior military posts
Retired Major General Faleh bin Mohammed bin Manawir Al-Dhahiri died at dawn on Wednesday, 27 Rabi al-Awwal 1448 AH (9 September 2026), in Jeddah.
He was 86 years old. Al-Dhahiri was the brigadier general who led the operation to end the 1979 siege of Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) in Makkah.
Early Life
Al-Dhahiri was born on 16 Dhu al-Qa’dah 1358 AH (27 December 1939) in Makkah. He was raised in Abha, where his father was posted as an army officer.
He came from Banu Salim, part of the Harb tribe. His father, Mohammed bin Manawir Al-Dhahiri, was also an army officer and retired with the rank of major during the reign of King Saud.
Military Training
Al-Dhahiri graduated with the tenth course of the military school in Taif, before the school moved to Riyadh and became King Abdulaziz Military College.
He went on to complete parachute, commando, basic infantry, and advanced infantry courses. He also completed advanced infantry and command-and-staff courses in the United States. The staff course counted as a master’s degree in military science.
The 1979 Grand Mosque Operation
In 1979, Al-Dhahiri commanded the King Abdulaziz Armored Brigade, the 20th Brigade, based in Tabuk. Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz asked him to bring the brigade to Makkah after armed men led by Juhayman al-Otaibi seized Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) on 20 November 1979.
Al-Dhahiri was given command of the operation to retake the mosque, which ended on 4 December 1979 (Muharram 1400 AH). He was wounded during the operation.
Then-Defense Minister Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz sent him a letter of thanks. Al-Dhahiri later described the operation in a televised interview, using maps to explain what happened.
Career After 1979
After the operation, Al-Dhahiri held a series of senior military posts. He commanded the information wing at the Infantry School, then served as director of external assistance at the Ministry of Defense and Aviation, working closely with Prince Sultan.
He went on to become director of training for the Land Forces, commander of the Northwestern Region in Tabuk during the reign of King Khalid, and finally commander of King Abdulaziz Military College.
Family
The Al-Dhahiri family has served in the Saudi military across three generations. Al-Dhahiri’s son, Major General Walid Al-Dhahiri, later commanded the Peninsula Shield Forces and, after that, King Abdulaziz Military College.
His son Abdulaziz has published and discussed his father’s notes and archive on the 1979 operation, including in an appearance on Al-Liwan with Abdullah al-Mudayfir. The Jeddah obituary named his sons as Mohammed, Abdullah, Walid, Ali, Abdulaziz, and Ayman, and his brothers as Khalid, Majid, and Sati.
Funeral
The funeral prayer was held after Dhuhr on the day of his death at Jami’ al-Qurayqiri in Jeddah, with burial in the adjacent cemetery. Per his will, condolences were received at the cemetery only.
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