Turki bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud known also as Turki al-Faisal, is a Saudi politician and diplomat. A member of the House of Saud, he currently serves as the chairman of King Faisal Foundation's Center for Research and Islamic Studies. From 1977 to 2001, Prince Turki was the director general of Al Mukhabarat Al 'Ammah, Saudi Arabia's intelligence agency, resigning the position on 1 September 2001, some ten days before the September 11 attacks in which 14 Saudi nationals hijacked commercial American airliners. Prince Turki subsequently served as ambassador to the Court of St. James's and the United States.