London: The high-level opening session of the Third Strategic Aid Dialogue on international development and humanitarian assistance between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom was held yesterday in London. The Saudi delegation was led by Advisor at the Royal Court and Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, with representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, and the Saudi Fund for Development. The UK side was led by Minister of State for International Development and Africa Baroness Jennifer Chapman.
According to Saudi Press Agency, at the start of his remarks, Al Rabeeah stated that since the last meeting in Riyadh in May 2024, there has been a notable increase in the roles of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom in addressing urgent global humanitarian and development challenges. He noted that, so far, Saudi Arabia and the UK have cooperated on five joint humanitarian projects costing more than $30 million. These projects aim to support humanitarian action and advance prospects for global peace, security, and prosperity.
He further highlighted that officials from both countries are actively working to identify promising opportunities to enhance cooperation. Al Rabeeah emphasized that Saudi Arabia sees great potential in leveraging its strengths in fields such as healthcare provision, educational infrastructure development, and livelihood programs. He expressed hope for exploring additional avenues of cooperation with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to transform humanitarian interventions into sustainable assistance successfully.
The Third Strategic Aid Dialogue comes at a time when humanitarian and development needs are rising due to ongoing conflicts, climate shocks, and economic instability. As major donors, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom consider their partnership under the Strategic Dialogue essential to improving the humanitarian landscape. The opening session provided an opportunity to review progress made since the previous dialogue and to highlight shared ambitions and strategic priorities.
