Saudi Arabia and Africa... Laying the Foundations for Continental Integration, Sustainable Future

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman delivers his speech at the opening of the summit (SPA)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman delivers his speech at the opening of the summit (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia and Africa... Laying the Foundations for Continental Integration, Sustainable Future

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman delivers his speech at the opening of the summit (SPA)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman delivers his speech at the opening of the summit (SPA)

The leaders of Saudi Arabia and African countries have affirmed their determination to develop cooperation and partnership and to lay the foundations for continental integration that charts a sustainable future for the countries and peoples of both regions.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the first Saudi-African summit in Riyadh on Friday, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the launch of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ development initiative in Africa, which seeks to implement development projects and programs in the continent with a value exceeding one billion dollars over a period of ten years.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman pledged to pump more than $25 billion in new Saudi investments into various sectors, finance and secure $10 billion in exports, provide $5 billion in additional development financing to Africa until 2030, and increase the number of Saudi diplomatic missions in the continent to more than 40 embassies.

“The Kingdom and African countries are keen to enhance cooperation in a way that contributes to establishing security and peace in the region and the world,” the Saudi Crown Prince said.

Pointing to the war on Gaza, he stated: “We condemn the military aggression witnessed in the Gaza Strip, the targeting of civilians, and the continued violations of international humanitarian law by the Israeli occupation authority. Let us stress the need to stop this war and forced displacement, and create conditions for the return of stability and the achievement of peace.”

Prince Mohammed explained that the Kingdom and African countries support “all efforts aimed at achieving security and stability.”

He added: “In this regard, we welcome the resumption of the Jeddah talks with representatives of both sides of the crisis in Sudan, and we hope that the language of dialogue will be the basis for preserving the unity of the Republic of Sudan and the security of its people.”

The Crown Prince went on to say: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has provided more than $45 billion to support development and humanitarian projects in 54 African countries.”

He added that the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has offered more than $450 million in aid in 46 African countries.

“We are determined to deepen relations of cooperation and partnership with African countries and develop areas of trade and integration,” Prince Mohammed said.

“From this standpoint, we are pleased to announce the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ development initiative in Africa, by launching development projects and programs with a value exceeding one billion dollars over a period of 10 years.”

For his part, Moussa Mahamat, Commissioner of the African Union, touched on the spiritual, historical, cultural, economic and commercial ties between Africa and Saudi Arabia, which he said were translated by bilateral relations between the Kingdom and a large number of members of the African Union.



Saudi Arabia, Pakistan Discuss Development of Military Ties

The Saudi Crown Prince receiving the Pakistani army commander in Riyadh (SPA)
The Saudi Crown Prince receiving the Pakistani army commander in Riyadh (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia, Pakistan Discuss Development of Military Ties

The Saudi Crown Prince receiving the Pakistani army commander in Riyadh (SPA)
The Saudi Crown Prince receiving the Pakistani army commander in Riyadh (SPA)

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, met on Wednesday with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, to discuss bilateral relations and explore opportunities for further development, particularly in the military sector. The meeting, held in the Crown Prince’s office in Riyadh, covered a range of shared interests.
Attending the reception on the Saudi side were Prince Khalid bin Salman, Minister of Defense; Dr. Musaed Al-Aiban, Minister of State, Member of the Cabinet, and National Security Advisor; Khalid Al-Humaidan, Head of General Intelligence; Mohammed Al-Tuwaijri, Advisor to the Royal Court; General Fayyadh Al-Ruwaili, Chief of the General Staff; and Nawaf Al-Maliki, Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan.
Representing Pakistan were Ahmad Farooq, Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and Brigadier Mohammad Asim, Military Attaché at the embassy in Riyadh.
In a separate meeting, Prince Khalid bin Salman, Saudi Defense Minister, also met with General Asim Munir to discuss the historic ties between the two countries, focusing on strategic cooperation in military and defense areas and exploring ways to strengthen and expand bilateral ties. They also discussed various issues of mutual concern.