Abdul Munim Riad

Abdul Munim Riad ( 22 October 1919 – 9 March 1969) was an Egyptian military officer and the Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces from 1967 to 1969. He commanded the Jordanian Armed Forces during the 1967 Six-Day War and later led the Egyptian forces in the War of Attrition, where he and several of his aides were killed in action in 1969. His death on 9 March is observed as .

Early life Riad was born on 22 October 1919 in Tanta, a city in the Nile Delta. His father, Mohammed Riad, was an instructor at the Royal Military Academy and a lieutenant colonel in the Egyptian military. In 1928, Mohammed was stationed in El-Arish in the Sinai Peninsula, which allowed Riad to become familiar with the arid and mountainous landscape of the region. During this period of his childhood, Riad observed his father's military activities, played with Bedouin children in the area, and, according to Egyptian military historian Mohammed al-Jawady, gained experience as a scout.

In 1930, Riad's family moved to the port city of Alexandria following his father's promotion to colonel and subsequent assignment as commander of the 2nd Infantry Battalion. Riad completed his secondary education in the city, graduating in 1936, and then began attending the fall semester at Qasr el-Aini Medical School in Cairo. While there, he participated in student-led protests calling for an end to British colonial influence in the country. The dean, Colonel Futuh Bey, described him as an exemplary student who always did his best and could be relied upon.