Saudi Gazette report
LONDON — The high-level opening session of the Third Strategic Aid Dialogue on international development and humanitarian assistance between Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom was held in London on Monday. The opening session provided an opportunity to review progress made since the previous dialogue and to highlight shared ambitions and strategic priorities.

The Third Strategic Aid Dialogue comes at a time when humanitarian and development needs continue to rise 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, is essential to improving the humanitarian landscape.

The Saudi delegation to the session 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.

Speaking at the session Dr. Al-Rabeeah said: “Since our last meeting in Riyadh in May 2024, we have witnessed a notable increase in the roles of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom in addressing urgent global humanitarian and development challenges, and we expect further cooperation between the two countries in this regard.” He noted that, so far, Saudi Arabia and the UK have cooperated on five joint humanitarian projects costing more than $30 million, aimed at supporting humanitarian action and advancing prospects for global peace, security, and prosperity.

Dr. Al-Rabeeah said that officials from both countries are working diligently to identify promising opportunities to enhance cooperation, highlighting that Saudi Arabia sees great potential in leveraging its strengths across 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 & Development Office to transform humanitarian interventions into sustainable assistance successfully.