Saudi Arabia Concludes 4 Agreements Worth SAR150 Million for Gaza Relief

Dr. Al-Rabeeah signs a joint cooperation agreement with UNRWA. (KSRelief)
Dr. Al-Rabeeah signs a joint cooperation agreement with UNRWA. (KSRelief)
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Saudi Arabia Concludes 4 Agreements Worth SAR150 Million for Gaza Relief

Dr. Al-Rabeeah signs a joint cooperation agreement with UNRWA. (KSRelief)
Dr. Al-Rabeeah signs a joint cooperation agreement with UNRWA. (KSRelief)

The Advisor to the Royal Court and General Supervisor of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief), Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, signed on Thursday four cooperation agreements to provide relief to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, with a total value of SAR 150 million.

The agreements were signed with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the World Food Program (WFP).

As part of Saudi Arabia’s coordination with Egypt to alleviate the sufferings of the Palestinians in Gaza, KSRelief also signed a joint support memorandum with the Egyptian Red Crescent.

In a statement, Egypt’s minister of Social Solidarity and vice president of the Egyptian Red Crescent Nevine Al-Kabbaj praised the close relationship between her country and Saudi Arabia, and appreciated the efforts made by KSRelief as a “pioneering center in supporting groups affected by crises and disasters and developing partnerships with leading organizations in humanitarian work around the world...”

For his part, Al-Rabeeah thanked Egypt for the efforts made to support the Palestinians.

“The region is witnessing a major crisis, and all humanitarian standards and laws are being violated as a result of what is happening to innocent, defenseless civilians, as children and women are being killed without the slightest guilt,” he said.

He pointed to coordination with the Egyptian Red Crescent and all Egyptian government agencies to facilitate the entry of humanitarian relief aid provided by Saudi Arabia to the Palestinians.

The four agreements include providing life-saving medicines and medical supplies, supporting urgent interventions to save lives, strengthening primary and secondary health care programs, treating malnutrition in children, mothers and the elderly, and supporting mental health, at a value of SAR 37.5 million.

They also provide for supporting the WFP to secure hot meals and food baskets to displaced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, at a total cost of SAR 18.7 million.

Moreover, the agreements cover financing the activities of the UNRWA in the food, shelter, water and environmental sanitation sectors, including securing medicines and providing doctors and nurses in 97 UNRWA shelter centers in the Gaza Strip, and ensuring the physical and psychological safety of the population and displaced people in Gaza.



Saudi Military Personnel Graduate from US THAAD Missile Defense Training Program

Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces Graduate Second Unit at Fort Bliss Base in the US. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces Graduate Second Unit at Fort Bliss Base in the US. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Military Personnel Graduate from US THAAD Missile Defense Training Program

Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces Graduate Second Unit at Fort Bliss Base in the US. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces Graduate Second Unit at Fort Bliss Base in the US. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces have announced the graduation of the second unit trained to operate the US-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system. The training was completed at Fort Bliss Military Base in El Paso, Texas.

This latest graduation follows the completion of training for the first unit several months ago and is part of a broader initiative to build a fully qualified Saudi operational and maintenance crew for the THAAD system- one of the world’s most advanced and precise missile defense technologies. The system is considered a key pillar of Saudi Arabia’s air defense capabilities.

During their training, the Saudi personnel underwent an intensive program that included technical and operational instruction, combat simulation, and advanced field exercises. The course was conducted under the supervision of experts from the system’s manufacturing company, in cooperation with the United States as part of ongoing military collaboration agreements between the two nations.

This training initiative is aligned with the Saudi Ministry of Defense’s strategic objective to enhance the operational readiness and technical proficiency of its forces through advanced and specialized training. The goal is to equip Saudi forces with the skills required for modern military operations, in line with Vision 2030’s focus on military modernization and technological localization.

The Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces continue to implement comprehensive plans to qualify national cadres capable of managing and operating advanced defense systems, strengthening national security and protecting Saudi airspace against potential threats.

The graduation ceremony was held at Fort Bliss in the presence of Major General Abdullah Al-Rubaie, Commander of the Air Defense Forces Institute, representing Lieutenant General Mazyad Al-Amro, Commander of the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces. The event was also attended by US counterparts and representatives from relevant training bodies.