Saudi Arabia Continues its Support for UNRWA, Sea Bridge to Follow

A Saudi relief plane arrives in Gaza carrying aid, including food and shelter supplies (SPA)
A Saudi relief plane arrives in Gaza carrying aid, including food and shelter supplies (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Continues its Support for UNRWA, Sea Bridge to Follow

A Saudi relief plane arrives in Gaza carrying aid, including food and shelter supplies (SPA)
A Saudi relief plane arrives in Gaza carrying aid, including food and shelter supplies (SPA)

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) is providing $15 million to support the first phase of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Emergency Appeal for Gaza.

The KSrelief contribution will cover assistance in the food security, shelter, non-food items, emergency, health, and WASH sectors.

The Center asserted that UNRWA is the only international humanitarian organization capable of providing support on the ground inside the Gaza Strip.

The plan will be implemented immediately through the existing partnership between KSrelief and UNRWA and will address the critical humanitarian conditions and challenges inside Gaza, including the severely restricted access to the area.

According to the statement, the targeted programs will be implemented to ensure that emergency aid and services are provided to affected groups as quickly as possible.

It asserted that Saudi Arabia stands with the Palestinian people and is committed to providing comprehensive humanitarian relief and support to Gaza through the work of KSrelief.

On October 15, Riyadh presented a check for the annual contribution of $2 million from Saudi Arabia to the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini.

The amount constituted Saudi Arabia's scheduled annual contribution to the Agency to enable it to continue providing relief services and food, medicine, and humanitarian needs to the Palestinian people.

For his part, Lazzarini praised the Kingdom for its ongoing support, highlighting that it consistently stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people and supports the Agency in achieving its humanitarian goals.

The Commissioner-General renewed his call for the UN member states and the international community to support the Agency's efforts in assisting the Palestinian people facing critical conditions.

Last week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the launch of a humanitarian appeal to raise $1.2 billion to help 2.7 million Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia dispatched the seventh relief plane from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh to el-Arish International Airport, Egypt, preparing to transport aid to the affected people inside the Gaza Strip.

Donations to the Saudi National Campaign for Gaza through the Sahem platform, directed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, exceeded SR494 million from over 773,310 donors.

For his part, KSrelief spokesman Samer al-Jutaili revealed that Saudi Arabia will launch a sea bridge to send aid to Gaza.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Jutaili explained that the parties are exerting efforts to mobilize resources through a sea bridge expected to carry thousands of tons of aid within a short period.

The sea bridge will help increase the humanitarian aid, said Jutaili, adding that Saudi Arabia has supported Palestine in the past ten years with up to $5.2 billion.

Palestine was the third country receiving aid from KSrelief with 112 projects at a cost exceeding $369 million.

The spokesman pointed out that Saudi Arabia also provided UNRWA with urgent aid of about $1 billion when it was about to close due to a lack of funding during the past three years.



Saudi Arabia Reiterates Categorical Rejection of Israel’s Ongoing Attack against Palestinians, Relief Agencies

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Reiterates Categorical Rejection of Israel’s Ongoing Attack against Palestinians, Relief Agencies

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)

The Saudi government reiterated on Tuesday its categorical rejection of the Israeli forces’ ongoing attacks against civilians and humanitarian and relief agencies.

It called on the international community to assume its responsibilities towards these violations against the Palestinian people.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired the cabinet meeting that was held in Riyadh.

The ministers were briefed on the telephone calls Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, held with Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron.

They reviewed the talks held by senior Saudi officials with their counterparts from different countries, at bilateral and multilateral levels, with the aim of strengthening ties, intensifying efforts to open up new horizons in various fields and achieve aspired goals, and bolstering efforts exerted to tackle global challenges.

The cabinet tackled the outcome of the second meeting of the Saudi-French Ministerial Committee, and the efforts to strengthen cultural, tourism, and economic partnerships between AlUla and Paris, in view of the special relations between their countries and commitment to developing ties in all sectors.

The cabinet commended the outcome of the second meeting of the Ministerial Committee on Political, Security, Social, and Cultural Cooperation, established under the Saudi-India Strategic Partnership Council, which underscored the importance of coordination and cooperation on issues of common interest, particularly those related to economic development and international security and peace.

It reviewed the latest regional and international developments, focusing on the situation in the Palestinian territories.

The cabinet reiterated its concern over extremist Israeli statements about imposing sovereignty over the West Bank, and the construction and expansion of settlements.

These actions undermine peace efforts, threaten regional security and stability, and are a blatant violation of international laws and relevant UN resolutions, it warned.

Domestically, the cabinet hailed the support lent by King Salman to the current Riyadh Economic Forum, saying that the recommendations of the 11th session of the forum can be expected to give further impetus to the national economy and bolster the private sector's role in the Kingdom's comprehensive development.

The cabinet recognized the success of the "Cityscape Global 2024" exhibition held in Riyadh, which aligns with national goals and offers promising prospects to the real estate sector. The value of the transactions concluded at the exhibition surpassed SAR230 billion, with sales from local and international developers exceeding SAR20 billion. The exhibition attracted over 172,000 visitors, underscoring the success of the Kingdom's efforts to position itself as a global hub for exhibitions and conferences.

Moreover, the cabinet praised the outcomes of the "Jeddah Declaration", issued during the Fourth High-Level Ministerial Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance, commending the initiatives and mechanisms that bolster the global commitment to a multifaceted approach in tackling global health challenges and seeking solutions through research, development, and innovation.

The cabinet said the Fourth Edition of the Saudi Green Initiative Forum, set for December 3-4, will be geared toward expediting efforts aimed at fostering a more sustainable future. The initiative has had concrete positive impacts on climate and environmental initiatives, helping boost the total capacity of renewable energy sources to over four gigawatts, planting about 95 million trees, and translocating 1,660 endangered animals across the Kingdom.