Saudi Arabia has provided $130bn in aid to 169 countries since 1950 - Report

Saudi Arabia has provided $130 billion (486 billion Saudi riyals) in humanitarian and relief aid to 169 countries since 1950, data from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre revealed, Saudi Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported on Thursday.

According to the paper, the Kingdom was among the top three leading global donors of development and humanitarian aid to low- and middle-income countries, with a total of 169 countries benefiting from Saudi Arabia’s aid since 1950.

The paper explained that six Islamic countries, including five Arab ones, have received the most aid, with Egypt topping the list with over $32 billion in aid, followed by Yemen with over $26 billion, Pakistan with around $13 billion, Syria with over $7 billion, Iraq with $7 billion and Palestine with over $5 billion.

According to data, the Kingdom implemented 7,019 humanitarian, development and charitable projects in the 169 countries, 88 per cent of them were development aid which mainly focused on the education sector, which was provided through 19 Saudi donor agencies.

In a related context, the total amount of aid to the displaced and visitors in the Kingdom amounted to $22 billion. The Yemeni refugees’ share of Saudi aid was the largest, at $11 billion, followed by Syrian refugees’ with more than $6 billion.

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, since its establishment in 2015, has implemented more than 2,400 humanitarian projects in 92 countries around the world, with a value exceeding $6,248 billion.

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