King Salman Center...Symbol of Humanitarian, Relief Work

The rehabilitation program for child soldiers in Yemen focuses on providing them with psychological and social support. (SPA)
The rehabilitation program for child soldiers in Yemen focuses on providing them with psychological and social support. (SPA)
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King Salman Center...Symbol of Humanitarian, Relief Work

The rehabilitation program for child soldiers in Yemen focuses on providing them with psychological and social support. (SPA)
The rehabilitation program for child soldiers in Yemen focuses on providing them with psychological and social support. (SPA)

The World Humanitarian Day is celebrated every year on Aug. 19, to shed light on the hundreds of thousands of volunteers and professionals, who provide people affected by crises with urgent health care, shelter, food, water, and more.

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) has completed 2,400 projects benefiting 92 countries, in cooperation with 175 partners, at a total cost of $6.2 billion.

The center continues its relief and development projects in Yemen since its inception in 2015. Mohammed al-Maqrami, media director of the Coalition of Humanitarian Relief, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Yemen’s share from the center’s humanitarian assistance amounts to around 80 percent, including 814 projects at a cost exceeding $4 billion.

According to Maqrami, projects cover various fields of food and health security, treatment of the wounded, water, environmental sanitation, nutrition, and relief for the displaced, as well as rehabilitation of child soldiers, and Project Masam, a humanitarian landmine clearance project that started in 2018.

- Rehabilitation of child soldiers

KSRelief implements a project to rehabilitate child soldiers and those affected by the armed conflict in Yemen. It is a qualitative Saudi humanitarian plan that was launched in the Maarib Governorate in September 2017. It focuses on rehabilitating child soldiers and those affected by the armed conflict, reintegrating them into their normal lives and providing them with social support.

- Masam Project

Masam is a humanitarian landmine clearance project in Yemen, which was launched by Saudi Arabia in June 2018. Mines are spread in large quantities in Yemen, and have claimed the lives of thousands of children, women, and the elderly, causing permanent disabilities and economic losses for individuals and society.

The project aims to clear the Yemeni regions of landmines, address direct threats to the lives of the people, enhance security, and help addressing human tragedies resulting from the spread of mines, in addition to establishing a mechanism for the Yemeni society that enables it to assume responsibility in the long term.

Maqrami said that the project contributed to the clearance of more than 410,701 mines of different types, which were planted by the Houthi militia in various Yemeni governorates.

The work of the KSRelief is not limited to the relief aspects, but focus has also been placed on development projects. The center launched plans to rehabilitate schools in a number of Yemeni governorates, finance farmers and fishermen, and empower women and youth by educating them and teaching them crafts to enable them to support their families.

- Prosthetics Program

KSRelief took the initiative to support and fund prosthetics centers in Yemen, which provide free services to people with amputations. Mines planted indiscriminately by the Houthi militias affected the lives of thousands of Yemenis.

Around 26,080 persons benefitted from this program, including 25,340 in Yemen and 748 in Syria.

The program aims to provide high-quality prostheses for the injured, train local cadres on prosthetics manufacturing techniques, and build the capacity of health institutions to ensure localization and sustainability of services, in addition to rehabilitating patients.



Saudi Crown Prince Stresses Strategic Partnership between Gulf Countries, US

US President Donald Trump attends a group photo session with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 14, 2025. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
US President Donald Trump attends a group photo session with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 14, 2025. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
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Saudi Crown Prince Stresses Strategic Partnership between Gulf Countries, US

US President Donald Trump attends a group photo session with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 14, 2025. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
US President Donald Trump attends a group photo session with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 14, 2025. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

The Gulf Cooperation Council-US Summit was held in Riyadh on Wednesday at the invitation of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and co-chaired by Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and US President Donald Trump.

The summit tackled several files, starting with economic, trade and investment changes, and regional security and political affairs.

In his opening address, Crown Prince Mohammed said the meeting “builds upon the longstanding relationship and strategic partnership between our countries and the United States, evolving into a model of cooperation over the decades.”

“This summit underscores our commitment to collective action in strengthening relations, expanding strategic partnerships, and fulfilling the aspirations of our nations and peoples,” he added.

“The GCC states and US share a common belief in the importance of economic partnerships and trade cooperation,” he continued.

“The US stands as a key trade and investment partner for our states, with trade volume between the Gulf and US reaching around $120 billion in 2024. We look forward to further collaboration in trade exchange, consolidating economic relations, and exploring new avenues for mutual benefit across various sectors that align with our shared interests.”

“The future we envision, through achieving sustainable development goals, depends on a stable and secure environment,” he said.

“Recognizing the significant challenges addressing our region, we aim to work collaboratively with President Trump, and in partnership with the GCC countries to de-escalate tensions in the region, end the war in Gaza, and seek a lasting and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause in alignment with the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant international resolutions,” stated Crown Prince Mohammed.

“Our objective is to ensure security and peace for the peoples of the region. We reiterate our support for all efforts aimed at resolving crises and halting conflicts through peaceful means,” he declared.

On Yemen, he said Saudi Arabia reiterates its commitment to fostering dialogue among Yemeni parties to reach a comprehensive political solution in their country.

“We will also continue our efforts to end the crisis in Sudan through the Jeddah platform, sponsored by Saudi Arabia and the US, with the aim of achieving a complete ceasefire,” he added.

On Syria, Crown Prince Mohammed said: “We underscore the importance of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and supporting the Syrian government's efforts to restore security and stability.”

“We commend the decision made yesterday by President Trump to lift the sanctions on Syria. This decision will alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people and pave the way for a new chapter of growth and prosperity,” he remarked.

Turning to Lebanon, he expressed is support for efforts led by President Joseph Aoun and the Lebanese government “to implement institutional reforms, ensure all weapons are under the authority of the state, and protect Lebanon's sovereignty and security.”

“We welcome the ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and India and hope that it will contain escalation and restore calm between the two countries.”

“Regarding the Ukrainian crisis, we reaffirm the Kingdom's readiness to continue its efforts toward achieving a political solution that brings the conflict to an end. We welcome the efforts of President Trump and his commitment to resolving this crisis,” said Crown Prince Mohammed.

“Our summit today underscores the importance of continued cooperation and coordination on regional and international issues, recognizing their vital role in promoting peace, security, and stability both in the region and the world,” he stressed.