KINGDOM'S ASSISTANCE TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
 

RIYADH, NOV. 3, SPA--THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA HAS SUBMITTED RELIEF ASSISTANCE FOR THE SERVICE OF ARAB, ISLAMIC AND FRIENDLY PEOPLES AND SUPPORTED THE GOVERNMENTS OF THESE COUNTRIES TO ENSURE GROWTH AND PROSPERITY AND FACE NATURAL DISASTERS.

THE KINGDOM HAS A UNIQUE AND DISTINGUISHED STATUS AT FOREIGN AID ARENA. IT RANKED THE FIRST AMONG THE COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD AS A RESULT OF ITS ALLOCATIONS OF HIGH PERCENTAGE OF ITS NATIONAL INCOME TO THE AID.

THE AID PROGRAM INCLUDES DEVELOPMENT IN AGRICULTURAL AND ECONOMIC FIELDS, BUILDING SCHOOLS, INSTITUTES, UNIVERSITIES, HOSPITALS, DISPENSARIES AND ISLAMIC SOCIETIES.

STATISTICS FROM 1973 TO 2000 SHOW THAT THE KINGDOM HAD SUBMITTED TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ASSISTANCE AMOUNTED TO SR 285 BILLION WHICH CONSTITUTES FOUR PERCENT OF THE ANNUAL AVERAGE OF THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT OF THE KINGDOM. SUCH AVERAGE IS CONSIDERED THE HIGHEST AMONG ALL COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD.

RIYADH IN RECENT YEARS, THE KINGDOM HAS OFFERED TO A NUMBER OFTHE KINGDOM'S SUPPORT INCLUDED ASSISTANCE AND SOFT DEVELOPMENTAL LOANS TO 73 DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.

STEMMING FROM THE KEENNESS ON ASSISTING THESE COUNTRIES, THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES KING FAHD BIN ABDULAZIZ WROTE OFF DEBTS OF SR 22.5 BILLION WHICH BENEFITED 11 DEVELOPING AND LEAST DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.

ISLAMIC COUNTRIES ASSISTANCE AMOUNTING TO MORE THAN SR 3 BILLION FOR ISLAMIC FIELDS NOTABLY TENS OF MOSQUES, SCHOOLS, INSTITUTES, UNIVERSITIES, MUSLIM SOCIETIES, HOSPITALS AND DISPENSARIES.

THE KINGDOM HAS ALSO ASSISTED FINANCIALLY AND MATERIALLY ARAB, ISLAMIC AND FRIENDLY COUNTRIES WHICH HAD BEEN AFFECTED BY NATURAL DISASTERS SUCH AS EARTHQUAKES, FLOODS, DROUGHT AND WARS.

SAUDI ASSISTANCE TO COUNTRIES AFFECTED BY NATURAL DISASTERS REACHED MORE THAN 80 PERCENT OF TOTAL INTERNATIONAL AID AND SOMETIMES NOT LESS THAN 70 PERCENT.