Saudi Aid to Palestine Amounts to $6 Billion in 17 Years

KSRelief General Supervisor Abdullah Al-Rabeeah holds a meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York. (SPA)
KSRelief General Supervisor Abdullah Al-Rabeeah holds a meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York. (SPA)
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Saudi Aid to Palestine Amounts to $6 Billion in 17 Years

KSRelief General Supervisor Abdullah Al-Rabeeah holds a meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York. (SPA)
KSRelief General Supervisor Abdullah Al-Rabeeah holds a meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York. (SPA)

Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Advisor to the Royal Court and General Supervisor of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) said that the total amount of aid provided by Saudi Arabia to the Palestinian people over the last 17 years exceeded $6 billion (23 billion Saudi riyals), in addition to the assistance offered by the National Committee for the Relief of the Palestinian People.
 
In a press statement, the Saudi official noted that the Kingdom has provided “ongoing and extensive support” to the people of Palestine, adding that between 2000 and 2018, Saudi aid and development support has exceeded $6 billion.
 
Among the Kingdom’s partners in delivering assistance in Palestine are various UN agencies, the Saudi National Committee for the Relief of the Palestinian People, and national and international NGOs, according to Rabeeah.
 
He added that Saudi Arabia has provided aid to the Palestinian people in several assistance categories, which included development aid, exceeding $4.5 billion, humanitarian aid, nearly reaching $1.1 billion, and philanthropic assistance that amounted to $17.3 million.
 
An amount of $200 million was also pledged by the Kingdom, including $50 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and $150 million to support the Palestinian Waqf Program in Jerusalem.
 
Rabeeah underlined that the most important development assistance provided by the Kingdom was a $263.17 million project to build and renovate housing units in Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, as well as Ain Al Hilweh and Nahr Al Bared refugee camps.
 
The Kingdom also funded a $107 million housing project in Rafah (Phase I), implemented through UNRWA, for the construction of an integrated residential city, including 752 housing units for 4,564 people, four schools, a health center, a cultural center, a mall, a mosque, paved roads, street lights and water supply facilities.
 
Phase II of the same Rafah project included 765 housing units for 4,761 people, two schools, a mosque, and electricity and water supply infrastructure.
 
Saudi Arabia’s programs to assist the Palestinians were provided either directly by the Kingdom, or in collaboration with KSrelief’s partners, including international organizations and UN agencies such as UNRWA, WFP, UNICEF, UNFPA, and UNESCO, the Saudi official said.



Albudaiwi, Pedersen Discuss Means of Preserving Syria's Unity, Security

The Syrian flag is flown at half-mast in Damascus on May 20, 2024 (AFP)
The Syrian flag is flown at half-mast in Damascus on May 20, 2024 (AFP)
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Albudaiwi, Pedersen Discuss Means of Preserving Syria's Unity, Security

The Syrian flag is flown at half-mast in Damascus on May 20, 2024 (AFP)
The Syrian flag is flown at half-mast in Damascus on May 20, 2024 (AFP)

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Jasem Albudaiwi held a phone call with GCC Secretary General and UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen.

During the call, the two sides stressed that the GCC countries support all efforts aimed at preserving Syria's unity, sovereignty, and security, and stand with the Syrian people.
According to SPA, they also discussed regional and international efforts aimed at preserving Syria's unity, sovereignty, and security, as well as the latest developments in the region and ways to boost cooperation.
Albudaiwi stressed that the GCC countries support all endeavors that help achieve stability, prosperity, and security for the Syrian people, and the importance of solidarity, on the part of the international community, in supporting efforts to achieve a comprehensive solution to the Syrian crisis that respects Syria's unity and sovereignty, and contributes to building a better future for Syria and its people.