Saudi Donations to Gaza Exceed $100 Million

Trucks with Saudi aid to the Palestinian people (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Trucks with Saudi aid to the Palestinian people (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Donations to Gaza Exceed $100 Million

Trucks with Saudi aid to the Palestinian people (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Trucks with Saudi aid to the Palestinian people (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi donations to the National Campaign to support the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip via the "Sahem" portal exceeded $102 million on its fifth day since its launch.

On Thursday, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman issued directives to launch a fundraising campaign on Sahem affiliated with the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) to aid the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

Conditions are worsening in the Gaza Strip under Israeli strikes. The Palestinians need support amid lack of adequate food, shelter, clean water or medicine.

More than half a million donors provided direct financial support to alleviate the suffering in Gaza and contribute to providing the people with the necessities of life.

On Oct. 15, the Saudi Ambassador to Jordan, Nayef bin Bandar al-Sudairi, presented a check for the annual contribution of $2 million from Saudi Arabia to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

The contribution will allow the UNRWA to continue providing vital relief services such as food, medicine, and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini lauded the Kingdom for its ongoing support. He said the Kingdom consistently stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people and supports the agency in achieving its humanitarian goals.

Lazzarini stressed the importance of solidarity and support from the international community.

He urged UN member states and the international community to lend their support to the agency's efforts in assisting the Palestinian people, who are currently facing challenging conditions.

KSrelief embodied the Saudi role in supporting reconstruction and development and providing relief worldwide, making it the most significant supporter and prominent source of relief in the Middle East and various regions.

The center provides assistance to 94 countries worldwide, implementing 2,587 humanitarian and relief projects worth more than $6 billion within just eight years of its launch. It targets vital sectors such as food, education, health, nutrition, water, environmental restoration, and shelter.

Saudi diplomacy is exerting extraordinary momentum to mobilize an Arab, regional, and international position toward stopping Israeli military operations in the Palestinian territories and ensuring the arrival of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

Riyadh will host four summits within 48 hours early next week, starting with an emergency Arab League summit to discuss the situation in Gaza, two Saudi and Arab summits with Africa, and a summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation countries on Sunday.

The Kingdom repeatedly called on the international community, represented by the Security Council, to assume its responsibilities and stop the escalation, prevent the forced displacement of Gazans, and find a just and comprehensive political solution to the Palestinian cause.

Meanwhile, senior Humanitarian Affairs at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Abdul Haq al-Amiri, asserted that Saudi Arabia is in constant contact with international relief and humanitarian organizations, maintaining that the Kingdom has no political or ethnic purposes.

Saudi support and relief programs are established through many official platforms that the government founded years ago, including the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center.

The Kingdom focused on rationing support and aid, targeting vital and strategic aspects that benefit individuals and governments of affected countries.



Mohammed bin Salman Takes Prince William on Tour of Diriyah

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales pose for a photograph at the UNESCO World Heritage site At-Turaif, February 9, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales pose for a photograph at the UNESCO World Heritage site At-Turaif, February 9, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
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Mohammed bin Salman Takes Prince William on Tour of Diriyah

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales pose for a photograph at the UNESCO World Heritage site At-Turaif, February 9, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales pose for a photograph at the UNESCO World Heritage site At-Turaif, February 9, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, took on Monday Britain’s Prince William on a tour of Diriyah in the At-Turaif UNESCO World Heritage Site 

Prince William had arrived in Saudi Arabia earlier on Monday for a first official visit, aimed at deepening economic cooperation. 

He was greeted at the airport by the deputy governor of the Riyadh region, Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz, the official Saudi Press Agency reported. 

The trip, which will wrap up on Wednesday, aims to celebrate growing trade, energy and investment ties ahead of the two nations marking a century of diplomatic relations. 

William, a keen environmentalist, is also set to visit the historic city of AlUla, where he will learn about conservation efforts, according to Kensington Palace. 


World Defense Show 2026: Saudi Arabia Committed to Building Advanced, Competitive Defense Industry

The World Defense Show 2026 continues throughout the week with live demonstrations, strategic programs, and engagements spanning air, land, sea, space, and security domains - SPA
The World Defense Show 2026 continues throughout the week with live demonstrations, strategic programs, and engagements spanning air, land, sea, space, and security domains - SPA
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World Defense Show 2026: Saudi Arabia Committed to Building Advanced, Competitive Defense Industry

The World Defense Show 2026 continues throughout the week with live demonstrations, strategic programs, and engagements spanning air, land, sea, space, and security domains - SPA
The World Defense Show 2026 continues throughout the week with live demonstrations, strategic programs, and engagements spanning air, land, sea, space, and security domains - SPA

The World Defense Show (WDS) 2026, which is organized by the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI), entered its second day on Monday with a strong focus on innovation and defense integration, supporting national industrial development and the advancement of future capabilities.

GAMI Governor Ahmad Abdulaziz Al-Ohali delivered keynotes reaffirming the Kingdom’s commitment to building an advanced, globally competitive defense industry.

He stated that Saudi Arabia continues to invest in a defense industry built on innovation and partnership, ensuring an integrated approach to defense and security.

According to SPA, he added that WDS 2026 reflects the Kingdom’s ambition to lead globally through technologies that enhance readiness, strengthen supply chains, and support localization under Vision 2030.

Following these remarks, senior Saudi defense leadership led a series of high-level discussions framing the strategic direction of the Kingdom’s defense transformation. Chief of the General Staff General Fayyad Al-Ruwaili delivered an address highlighting the priority of building a future-ready, integrated defense and discussing how global operational trends shape the Kingdom’s approach.

Across the wider venue, the Content Theater Program officially opened, bringing together senior Saudi and international speakers for high-level discussions on industrial development, aerospace growth, defense investment, and supply-chain strengthening. These sessions underscored the Kingdom’s strategic direction and its commitment to building a future-ready defense ecosystem. Parallel to the leadership program, activity across the Future Defense Lab and the Saudi Supply Chain Zone continued to facilitate expert engagement and industry dialogue, serving as additional platforms to support collaboration and capability development.

CEO of World Defense Show Andrew Pearcey said: “Day Two demonstrated the Kingdom’s growing influence in shaping the future of defense technologies and industrial capability. Through strong participation, forward-looking programs, and strategic leadership, WDS continues to serve as a global meeting point for innovation and collaboration.”

The World Defense Show 2026 continues throughout the week with live demonstrations, strategic programs, and engagements spanning air, land, sea, space, and security domains. This year’s edition brings together 1468 exhibitors from 89 countries, with participation from defense leaders, innovators, and investors contributing to Saudi Arabia’s long-term industrial transformation.


Saudi Foreign Minister, Slovak Deputy Prime Minister Sign General Cooperation Agreement

The two sides signed a general cooperation agreement aimed at enhancing cooperation and mutual understanding across various fields - SPA
The two sides signed a general cooperation agreement aimed at enhancing cooperation and mutual understanding across various fields - SPA
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Saudi Foreign Minister, Slovak Deputy Prime Minister Sign General Cooperation Agreement

The two sides signed a general cooperation agreement aimed at enhancing cooperation and mutual understanding across various fields - SPA
The two sides signed a general cooperation agreement aimed at enhancing cooperation and mutual understanding across various fields - SPA

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah met in Riyadh Monday Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of the Slovak Republic Robert Kaliňák.

They reviewed ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in a manner that serves their mutual interests and discussed regional and international developments, SPA reported.

The two sides signed a general cooperation agreement between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the Slovak Republic, aimed at enhancing cooperation and mutual understanding across various fields.