How ramped-up Saudi foreign aid is helping the world’s neediest

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A KSrelief project to combat eye disease in Nigeria. (Supplied)
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Updated 10 June 2022
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How ramped-up Saudi foreign aid is helping the world’s neediest

  • Kingdom has a long history of assistance for developing countries, led by Saudi Fund for Development
  • Many Arab countries are reeling from the economic impacts of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine

DUBAI: The creation of a joint development fund with France to assist Lebanon is the latest in a string of announcements signaling a ramp-up in Saudi aid to Middle East and North African countries being pushed deeper into debt by conflict and crisis.

The fund, unveiled in April, made an initial $30 million pledge to support food security in Lebanon and the country’s crippled health sector, according to a statement from the French embassy.

Funds will also be used for humanitarian projects that will provide emergency aid to the country’s most vulnerable communities and help improve access to primary healthcare in the northern city of Tripoli.

Before Lebanon, it was Mauritania, a desert country in northwest Africa with only 0.5 percent of arable land, that received significant assistance from the Kingdom.




KSRelief medical volunteers performed critical surgeries for indigents in Mauritania in 2020. (Supplied)

In April, Saudi Arabia converted its $300 million deposit with the Mauritania central bank into a soft loan as part of efforts to develop the country’s economy, and encourage regional and international investment.

Across the African continent, Saudi Arabia has provided more than $7 billion in development, humanitarian and charitable projects, covering food security, health and education, according to the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, the Kingdom’s leading aid agency.

Since its establishment in 2015 KSrelief has built on the Kingdom’s long history of helping developing countries.

In late May, the agency delivered humanitarian assistance worth $3.2 million to the Philippines, which included $1.7 million of medical equipment to help fight COVID-19. 




Saudi officials deliver $3.2 million worth of aid to the Philippines last month to mitigate the impacts of Typhoon Rai and to help health relief and emergency works in Marawi City. (Supplied)

A further $1.5 million is earmarked to help the Philippines Ministry of Health alleviate the impact of Typhoon Rai, alongside health relief and emergency works for the southern city of Marawi. 

During Ramadan, it gave cash support to more than 900 individuals in 19 countries, including Afghanistan, Yemen and Chad, through the Saudi Ramadan Eta’am initiative.

KSrelief distributed 500 Ramadan food baskets to Afghan families in the Char Asiab district of Kabul and 887 food baskets to households in the Chadian city of Massenya, benefiting 5,322 people.




KSrelief workers distributes Ramadan food baskets at the camps of Rohingya refugees in April 2022. (SPA)

The agency also implemented more than 40 humanitarian projects in Afghanistan, targeting food security, health, education, water and sanitation.

Meanwhile, in Yemen’s war-scarred Marib governorate, KSrelief has provided more than 72 tons of food, helping 4,080 people.

According to KSrelief, Yemen has received the largest share of aid spending at $4 billion, covering everything from health services, nutrition, shelter and education to sanitation, emergency communications and logistics.




Saudi Arabia continues to contribute to school projects, particularly in Yemen where tens of thousands of schoolchildren have been affected by the ongoing war between the government and the Iran-backed Houthi militia. (Supplied)

In early April, KSrelief announced a nutrition project aimed at children under 5, as well as pregnant and nursing women, in the Yemeni governorates of Lahij, Taiz, Aden, Hodeidah, Hajjah, Marib and Hadramout.

At the end of March, it announced a $7 million contribution to support education programs in Yemen run by the UN children’s fund UNICEF. The donation is set to improve access to quality education for 578,000 children.

In January, KSrelief signed an agreement with the UN’s migration agency IOM to provide 150,000 Yemenis with shelter, hygiene services, sanitation and clean water.




KSrelief's general supervisor, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah. (Supplied) 

During a recent lecture at the Islamic University of Madinah, Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, general supervisor of KSrelief, said that Saudi foreign aid between 1996 and 2021 totalled $94.6 billion, delivered to 165 countries.

KSrelief has carried on the work spearheaded by the Saudi Fund for Development, established in 1974. But Saudi Arabia’s charitable initiatives go back even further.

“Since its founding, the Kingdom has been keen to help crisis-affected countries,” Samer Al-Jetaily, a spokesperson for KSrelief, told Arab News. “It has spared no effort to help those in need around the world. Its commitment to providing relief and assistance is based on its noble humanitarian values.”

According to Al-Jetaily, KSrelief has implemented some 1,997 humanitarian projects in 84 countries worth $5.7 billion, focusing on areas ranging from education, healthcare and food security to shelter, sanitation and protection.

KSrelief is the only authority in Saudi Arabia permitted to receive and deliver cash and in-kind assistance to people overseas, regulate and supervise external charitable work, license charitable institutions internationally, and set the structure for other humanitarian work.

The Kingdom’s humanitarian efforts have expanded in tandem with major changes in the way citizens donate to charity.

FASTFACTS

Since 2015, KSrelief has implemented around 2,000 projects in 84 countries worth $5.7 billion.

The Saudi aid agency has implemented 815 projects aimed at women at a cost of $533 million.

Children around the world have benefited from 730 projects at a cost of $769 million.

(Source: KSrelief)

The country’s digital transformation has led to the creation of regulated donation services, including KSrelief, Ehsan, Shefaa and the National Donations Platform, all developed and supervised by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority.

Ehsan, launched in 2021, enables philanthropists and donors to choose from a selection of charitable causes, ranging from social and economic issues to health, education and the environment.

By focusing on individual values and specific societal issues, the platform aims to encourage a greater sense of social responsibility among the public and private-sector organizations, while also promoting a culture of transparency in charitable giving.

Last year, King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made multiple donations via Ehsan that pushed the platform’s total figure past the SR1 billion mark.




Ehsan has made it easier for Saudi Arabia’s residents to donate to causes such as renovating and furnishing the homes of the needy, giving food baskets to families, and providing care for the elderly. (SPA)

Since its launch, Ehsan has received more than SR1.4 billion ($373.2 million) in donations, which have been distributed to more than 4.3 million beneficiaries.

The National Donations Platform also connects donors with needy individuals across the Kingdom, while ensuring a reliable and secure digital donation process supervised by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.

To date, more than 3.5 million people, including orphans, the sick, the elderly and those living in substandard housing, have benefited from money gifted through the platform.

These regulated official platforms were designed to ensure donations go to those genuinely in need, and to prevent funds falling into the hands of fraudsters and even terrorist groups looking to exploit public generosity.

“The Kingdom hopes that the assistance it provides will contribute to ensuring that all people are able to live safe, healthy, dignified lives,” Al-Jetaily told Arab News.




Many underprivileged people in the Middle East and Africa have benefitted from Saudi Arabia's medical aid missions through the years. (Supplied)

“The aid provided globally is impartial, based solely on the needs of its beneficiaries.”

With many Arab countries struggling to overcome the economic blows of the pandemic, as well as the inflationary impact of the war in Ukraine on food and fuel prices, charitable donations are needed more than ever.

Lebanon is a case in point. While many nations have been reluctant to provide aid until its government implements much-needed economic reforms, Saudi Arabia and France chose to establish the joint development fund to help the Lebanese people.

Initially, money from the fund will be split between the French Development Agency and KSrelief, according to official sources.




Saudi and French officials join a photo session in Beirut during the signing of an aid agreement for Lebanon. (SPA)

Since 2019, Lebanon has been in the throes of its worst-ever financial crisis, which has been further compounded by the economic strain of the pandemic and the nation’s political paralysis.

For many Lebanese, the final straw was the Beirut port blast of Aug. 2020, which killed 218, injured 7,000, caused $15 billion in property damage and left an estimated 300,000 people homeless.

Deteriorating socioeconomic conditions have sent thousands of young Lebanese, including many of the country’s top medical professionals and educators, abroad in search of security and opportunity.

Those Lebanese who have chosen to remain are forced to endure shortages of basic necessities, crumbling infrastructure, rolling blackouts and mass unemployment.

 


GCC, Kuwaiti officials discuss regional ties

Updated 4 sec ago
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GCC, Kuwaiti officials discuss regional ties

  • Sheikh Sabah presented Jasem Albudaiwi with a letter from Kuwait’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya
  • Officials discussed strategies to strengthen joint efforts to advance Gulf cooperation

RIYADH: Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Jasem Albudaiwi has received in Riyadh Sheikh Sabah Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the ambassador of Kuwait to Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Sheikh Sabah presented Albudaiwi with a letter from Kuwait’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya which extended an invitation to participate in the third ministerial meeting between the GCC and Central Asian countries, scheduled to take place in Kuwait on April 16.

Albudaiwi commended Kuwait’s efforts in supporting the council’s progress, emphasizing that its initiatives and constructive positions reflected a strong commitment to enhancing joint Gulf cooperation and fulfilling the aspirations of the citizens of the GCC countries for greater integration and solidarity.

The two officials discussed strategies to strengthen joint efforts to advance Gulf cooperation, in alignment with the visions of the GCC leaders, and exchanged perspectives on the latest regional and international developments.


Hajj, Umrah firms face penalties for failing to report overstays

Updated 33 min 16 sec ago
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Hajj, Umrah firms face penalties for failing to report overstays

  • MOI said that financial penalties will be imposed on any company or establishment that delays reporting individuals who remain in the Kingdom beyond their authorized stay
  • Penalties can reach SR100,000 and will be multiplied based on the number of individuals who violate their departure deadlines

RIYADH: The Ministry of Interior has emphasized that Hajj and Umrah service companies and establishments must strictly adhere to all relevant regulations and instructions in Saudi Arabia.

The ministry said that financial penalties will be imposed on any company or establishment serving pilgrims and Umrah performers that delays reporting individuals who remain in the Kingdom beyond their authorized stay to the relevant authorities.

Penalties can reach SR100,000 ($26,600) and will be multiplied based on the number of individuals who violate their departure deadlines, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

On Monday, Matarat Holding Co. announced that more than 6.8 million passengers and Umrah performers passed through four Saudi airports from the first of Ramadan until the seventh of Shawwal.

These included King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah, Prince Abdulmohsen bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Yanbu, and Taif International Airport.

Passenger traffic was split between international flights, with over 4.6 million passengers, including arrivals and departures, and 2.1 million passengers on domestic flights.


Drug smuggling operations foiled across Kingdom

Updated 07 April 2025
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Drug smuggling operations foiled across Kingdom

  • Patrols in the Asir region led to the arrest of four Ethiopians for smuggling 122,550 tablets regulated for medical circulation
  • Border Guard authorities in Al-Raboah, Asir, arrested six Ethiopians for smuggling 225 kg of qat plants

RIYADH: Saudi authorities have carried out multiple drug-related arrests across the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday. 

Border Guard patrols in the Al-Dayer sector of the Jazan region resulted in the arrest of 11 Ethiopians for smuggling 288 kg of qat. In another operation, the smuggling of 504 kg of qat was thwarted.

Patrols in the Asir region led to the arrest of four Ethiopians for smuggling 122,550 tablets regulated for medical circulation. A firearm was seized.

Border Guard authorities in Al-Raboah, Asir, arrested six Ethiopians for smuggling 225 kg of qat plants. Another attempt to smuggle 175 kg of qat was also thwarted.

The General Administration of Mujahideen in the Eastern Province arrested a citizen for selling hashish, while, in Makkah, two citizens were arrested with 2,475 tablets regulated for medical circulation.

Preliminary legal procedures have been completed, and all seized items handed to the relevant authorities.

The public is urged to report drug smuggling or sales by calling 911 in Makkah, Riyadh, and the Eastern Province, or 999 in other regions.

Reports can also be submitted confidentially to the General Directorate of Narcotics Control at 995 or via email at 995@gdnc.gov.sa.


Festival brings global cultures to life in Alkhobar, Jeddah

Updated 07 April 2025
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Festival brings global cultures to life in Alkhobar, Jeddah

  • ‘Your Passport to the World’ celebrates traditions from Sudan, India, the Philippines, Bangladesh

Riyadh: A cultural festival hosted by Saudi Arabia will bring the rich traditions of Sudan, India, the Philippines, and Bangladesh to Alkhobar and Jeddah.

Organized by the General Entertainment Authority, the “Your Passport to the World” event will celebrate the diverse cultural heritage of expatriate communities in the Kingdom.

The month-long festival will offer an immersive experience that reconnects participants with their roots, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Through a series of performances, culinary showcases, traditional crafts, and hands-on workshops, the event will provide a unique opportunity to explore and celebrate global traditions.

The festival will debut in Alkhobar, with each community featured for four days throughout April, according to the SPA.

The Sudanese pavilion will kick off the event from Wednesday to Saturday, followed by India from April 16-19, the Philippines from April 23-26, and Bangladesh from April 30 to May 3. Afterward, the festival will move to Jeddah.

Each cultural showcase will offer a holistic experience, incorporating folkloric patterns, textiles, natural elements, and architectural heritage unique to each nation, the SPA reported.

Specialized zones will highlight heritage clothing, dance performances, authentic cuisine, crafts, open-air markets, performance theaters, and interactive installations.

The initiative aims to celebrate cultural diversity, foster connections, provide an engaging family experience, and highlight cultural heritage through art and cuisine.

With its festive atmosphere and vibrant showcases, the event is expected to attract large crowds, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 to enhance entertainment and improve quality of life for residents.


Riyadh to honor women’s excellence award winners

Updated 07 April 2025
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Riyadh to honor women’s excellence award winners

  • Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University to celebrate contributions in science, arts, economic, humanities

RIYADH: Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh will host a ceremony on Wednesday to honor the winners of the seventh Princess Nourah Award for Women’s Excellence, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The event, held under the patronage of King Salman, will be hosted at the university’s Conference and Convention Center and will be attended by Princess Fahda bint Falah Al-Hathleen, the spouse of the king.

This year’s award will recognize outstanding contributions in six categories: Natural sciences, health sciences, social initiatives, artistic works, economic projects and humanities.

The categories, covering both theoretical and practical fields, were opened for nominations last October, according to the SPA.

This year’s award marks a milestone, receiving a record-breaking 714 nominations from across the Kingdom, highlighting the increasing recognition and impact of the initiative.

Last year, the award introduced refined evaluation and selection processes, adopting more precise and objective criteria to ensure fairness and transparency.

The award framework was also updated to reflect national priorities and global developments, further enhancing credibility and reach.

The Princess Nourah Award for Women’s Excellence aims to highlight the accomplishments of Saudi women and recognize distinguished and creative people.

It also seeks to support outstanding women-led efforts and inspire future generations of women to contribute to comprehensive national development.