JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has given $84.7 billion in foreign aid to 79 countries between 1996-2018, according to Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, general supervisor of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief).
Al-Rabeeah highlighted Saudi Arabia’s contributions to international humanitarian and relief work, and said that the Kingdom had saved millions of people from conflicts and crises, regardless of their religion or ethnicity.
Al-Rabeeah was speaking during a seminar on the Kingdom’s humanitarian efforts at the University of Warsaw on Saturday, in the presence of the Saudi Ambassador to Poland Mohammed Madani, the Ambassador of Yemen to Poland Mervat Majali, and officials of the Foreign Ministry of Poland.
The royal decree establishing KSRelief was issued on May 13, 2015. Since then, it has carried out 482 projects in 42 countries worth $924,553,000. About 86 percent of the projects have been allocated to Yemen with a value of $659,271,000.
Al-Rabeeah said that the center implemented 206 projects for women worth $341,481,000, as well as 171 projects for children worth $504,962,000.
He added that the Kingdom had taken in 561,911 Yemeni refugees, 283,449 Syrian refugees and 249,669 refugees from Myanmar, the equivalent of 5.36 percent of the population of Saudi Arabia, putting it in second place internationally in terms of the number of refugees accepted.
Al-Rabeeah said that total Saudi assistance to Yemen since 2015 had reached $11.18 billion, noting that KSRelief has carried out 294 projects in Yemen in partnership with 80 UN and international and local NGOs.
Al-Rabeeah said that the response of KSRelief to the appeal by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF for $66.7 million to combat the cholera epidemic in Yemen, as well as the projects allocated by the KSRelief for women in Yemen from 2015 to date, amounted to 132 projects valued at $281,457,000. There have been 136 projects for children worth $469,867,000.
He highlighted that the Saudi project for mine clearance in Yemen, “Masam,” had been conducted by more than 400 people working in 32 teams within Yemeni territory during the preparation phase, and five specialized teams for rapid intervention, benefiting 9 million beneficiaries.
The costs of the project amounted to $40 million in the governorates of Marib, Aden, Taiz and Sanaa. More than 1 million land mines had been planted in Yemen, more than the number planted in World War II, he said.
Al-Rabeeah said that KSRelief was running a program to rehabilitate Yemeni children recruited by the Houthi militias, who use them as human shields. KSRelief is rehabilitating and providing care for 2,000 children through social, psychological, cultural and sports programs.
Al-Rabeeah outlined the establishment of artificial limbs centers and hospitals in Marib and Aden. He pointed out violations against humanitarian work in Yemen, where Houthi militias confiscated 65 aid ships, 124 aid convoys and 628 trucks.
The Houthi militia had also attacked the Kingdom’s territories with 205 ballistic missiles and thousands of mortar shells, artillery and Katyusha rockets, killing 122 civilians and wounding 946, damaging 41 schools, six hospitals and 20 mosques, and displacing more than 20,000 Saudi citizens.
Saudi Arabia grants $84.7bn in aid to 79 countries: KSRelief chief
Saudi Arabia grants $84.7bn in aid to 79 countries: KSRelief chief
Saudi crown prince, European council president discuss cooperation
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a phone call from European Council President Antonio Costa, the Saudi Press Agency said early Thursday.
The pair discussed enhancing cooperation between the Kingdom and European Union countries.
They also tackled a number of regional and international issues and the efforts made to achieve security and stability.
Interpol to establish regional office in Saudi Arabia
- The Kingdom and the international police organization sign host country agreement
RIYADH: Interpol is to establish an office in Saudi Arabia that will serve the Middle East and North Africa region.
Hisham Al-Faleh, undersecretary at the Kingdom’s Ministry of Interior, and Jurgen Stock, secretary-general of the international police organization, signed a host country agreement on Wednesday.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud, the Saudi Minister of Interior, and Maj. Gen. Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi, the president of Interpol, also attended the signing ceremony, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
In addition, they discussed Interpol’s activities during a meeting that also included Nasser Al-Dawood, the deputy minister of interior; Brig. Gen. Abdulmalik Al-Saqeeh, the director general of Saudi Interpol; and other senior officials.
Saudi Shoura Council speaker receives Japan’s newly appointed envoy
Saudi Shoura Council Speaker Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al-Asheikh received Japan’s newly appointed Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Morino Yasunari in Riyadh on Wednesday.
The Japanese ambassador praised the strong ties between Saudi Arabia and Japan, affirming his country’s commitment to enhancing cooperation across various sectors, Saudi Press Agency reported.
During the meeting, the two sides also discussed ways to bolster parliamentary collaboration between the Shoura Council and the Japanese Parliament, and other topics of mutual interest.
Qassim governor praises green initiative’s success
- The Green Qassim Land Initiative has completed planting 5 million trees as part of the broader Saudi Green Initiative
RIYADH: Qassim Gov. Prince Faisal bin Mishaal commended the success of the Green Qassim Land Initiative in planting 5 million trees as part of the broader Saudi Green Initiative.
In a meeting on Wednesday, he praised government and private sector efforts, particularly the contributions of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification.
The governor also lauded the ministry’s and center’s innovative approach to repurposing materials confiscated from environmental regulation violators for sustainable reforestation, notably in Qassim National Park.
Prince Faisal reaffirmed the region’s commitment to expanding vegetation cover and strengthening environmental protection, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The ministry’s Qassim branch director general, Salman Al-Suwainea, said that the initiative has progressed through various stages of collaboration with governmental and nonprofit organizations, playing a key role in advancing the Saudi Green Initiative’s objectives.
King Faisal Prize announces winners for Service to Islam
- The prize was awarded jointly to the Mushaf Tibyan Project for the Deaf, and Sami Abdullah Almaghlouth, consultant at the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information
RIYADH: The 2025 King Faisal Prize for Service to Islam has been awarded jointly to the Mushaf Tibyan Project for the Deaf, and Sami Abdullah Almaghlouth, consultant at the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information.
Mushaf Tibyan Project for the Deaf is a Saudi initiative by the Liajlehum Association, which serves people with disabilities.
Prince Turki Al-Faisal announced the laureates for the Service to Islam category at a ceremony in Riyadh on Wednesday.
Mushaf Tibyan Project for the Deaf has been awarded the prize for its provision of a complete Qur’anic interpretation in sign language, and for providing an interactive Qur’an for those with hearing disabilities.
It offers an innovative approach to Qur’anic interpretation, using techniques that enable the deaf to reflect on and understand the meaning of the Holy Qur’an.
Sami Abdullah Almaghlouth has been awarded the prize for his outstanding efforts in documenting Islamic history, his achievements in the field of historical and geographical atlases, and his accomplishments in both the diversity and comprehensiveness of the topics covered, which include most aspects of Islamic history, its figures, monuments and stages.
The Saudi national’s work includes atlases on the life of Prophet Muhammad, the history of the prophets and messengers, the Rashidun caliphs, atlases on religions, places in the Holy Qur’an, Islamic sects and schools of thought, Hadith scholars, and Holy Qur’an interpreters.
His work has been translated into several languages.
Earlier, on Jan. 8, the KFP, awarded in five categories, was announced, except for the Service to Islam prize. Announcing the winners then, Dr. Abdulaziz Alsebail, KFP secretary-general, said: “The selection committees, after meticulous deliberations, have reached decisions for ... Islamic studies, Arabic language and literature, medicine, and science. ”
The coveted prize for Islamic studies for 2025 was awarded jointly to Professor Saad Abdulaziz Alrashid and Professor Said Faiz Alsaid. Both are Saudi nationals and professors at King Saud University.
The prize for Arabic language and literature was withheld due to the nominated works not reaching the set criteria.
The prize for medicine was awarded to Michel Sadelain (Canada), and the prize for science awarded in physics to Sumio Iijima, a professor at Meijo University, Japan.
The KFP was established in 1977, and given for the first time in 1979 in three categories — Service to Islam, Islamic studies, and Arabic language and literature. Two additional categories were introduced in 1981 — medicine and science. The first medicine prize was awarded in 1982, and in science two years later.
Each prize laureate is endowed with $200,000, a 24-carat gold medal weighing 200 grams, and a certificate inscribed with the laureate’s name and a summary of the work that qualified them for the prize.
