Since the 1980s Saudi Arabia has provided foreign assistance to many countries and organizations.
Between 1976 and 1987, Saudi developmental aid amounted to US$49 billion. [1] In 2006, it was reported that the country was the biggest per capita donor, though the aid had only been given to Muslim countries. [1] The first donation given to a non-Muslim country was in 2006. [1] Saudi charities, including those linked to the Saudi royal family, have been implicated as funding terrorism through purported charity donations, [2] [3] as well as funding radical Islam movements. [4]
The Saudi Fund was set up by royal decree in October 1974, to stimulate economic growth in developing nations. In the next four years it gave soft loans totaling $3.1 billion to 51 countries, many of them with the lowest per-capita income bracket in the world. Almost 60 percent of approved loans earmarked for transport, power and water projects. By 1979, the fund accounted for about 30 percent of the kingdom's foreign economic aid. [5] In 2019, Saudi Arabia, through the Saudi Fund for Development, has become the 3rd largest donor to UNRWA at it donated $800 million since 1994. Moreover, in 2019, the fund provided support to maintain Palestinian refugee camps in different countries. [6]
According to the OECD, 2020 official development assistance from Saudi Arabia decreased by 25.3% to US$1.5 billion. [7]
Saudi Arabia pledged $1 billion in export guarantees and soft loans to Iraq. For Lebanon, it pledged a total of $1.59 billion in assistance and deposits to the Central Bank of Lebanon in 2006 and pledged an additional $1.1 billion in early 2007. [8] Of that aid, $500 million were intended for reconstruction. [9]
After the 2003 Bam earthquake, Saudi Arabia pledged more than $200,000 to the victims. [10]
Saudi Arabia is one of the largest providers of aid to the Palestinian people. [11] In just the three-year period 1987 to 1989 Saudi Arabia provided $1.8billion in financial support to the anti-government fighters in Afghanistan around twice the amount it had given to the PLO in the previous 14 years. [12] Since 2002, Saudi Arabia has given more than $480 million in monetary support to the Palestinian Authority, and has supported Palestinian refugees by contributing to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Through the Arab League it has provided more than $250 million for the Palestinians, and pledged $500 million in assistance over the next three years at the Donors Conference in Dec 2007. [8] Unlike aid from other nations, Saudi Arabian aid to Palestinians was not disrupted by the election of Hamas. [11]
In April 2022, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) pledged $3 billion to end a war with Iranian-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen. The war has fueled a humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen. [13]
After the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the resulting massive tsunamis, the Saudi government gave $30 million in aid to aid the victims, including a $5 million private donation by King Fahd (Saudis in total, including citizens, donated more than $80 million). [14]
In the aftermath of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, Saudi Arabia donated over US$3.3 million, more than any other country, [15] and promised an additional $573 million, also the maximum amount of money pledged. [16] Saudi Arabia also provided 4000 pre-fabricated houses to Pakistan through the Saudi Public Assistance for Pakistan Earthquake Victims (SPAPEV). The houses, which were to be equipped with all required facilities, cost over $16.7 million. [17] The SPAPEV also distributed 230,000 blankets, 150,000 quilts, 10,000 ordinary tents, 2,500 special winterized waterproof tents, 100,000 stoves, 100,000 food. [18]
The Saudi government pledged $230 million to development in Afghanistan. It has also pledged $133 million in direct grant aid, $187 million in concessional loans, and $153 million in export credits for Pakistan earthquake relief. [8]
In the aftermath of the 2010 Pakistan floods, Saudi Arabia has donated more than US$361.99 million for the relief operation, topping the list of all donating countries. [19] Saudi royal family donated $20 million on the first day whereas Saudi citizens donated more than $107 million were collected in the first three days. [20] Saudi Arabia started the largest air relief bridge in the history and also donated two hospital consisting of 100 beds. [21]
The Bosnian Muslims received support from Muslim countries and Islamist organizations during the Bosnian War (1992–1995). Military operations, including Al-Qaeda activity (see Al-Qaeda in Bosnia and Herzegovina), were funded and supported by the Saudi High Commission (SHC), founded by Saudi prince Salman bin Abdul-Aziz. [22] Pakistan supported Bosnia while providing technical and military support; Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) allegedly ran an active military intelligence program during the Bosnian War which started in 1992 lasting until 1995. Executed and supervised by Pakistani General Javed Nasir, the program provided logistics and ammunition supplies to various groups of Bosnian mujahideen during the war. The ISI Bosnian contingent was organized with financial assistance provided by Saudi Arabia according to the British historian Mark Curtis. [23]
According to Washington Post, Saudi Arabia provided $300 million in weapons to government forces in Bosnia with the knowledge and tacit cooperation of the United States, a claim denied by officials. [24]
According to some media reports, the Active Islamic Youth was described as a front for the Saudi High Commission for Relief and the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation. [25]
The Saudi Joint Committee for the Relief of Kosovo used $5 million to finance projects in rehabilitation, foodstuffs, relief materials, educational and religious programs, sponsorship of orphans, health care programs and development. Freights from Jeddah took 400,000 liters of milk as well as 900 cartons of clothing, 1,000 blankets, 25 water cisterns, medical supplies and surgical appliances such as wheelchairs to Pristina. [26] Saudi citizens donated $20 million to Kosovo in cash as well as food and medical supplies, and the Saudi Red Crescent sent medical volunteers. [27]
In 2006, the Saudi government gave $10 million in aid to the horn of Africa, through the World Food Programme, of which Kenya received $2 million. [28] Saudi prince Al-Walid bin Talal donated $1 million to help feed 3.5 million Kenyans during the drought. [29]
In 2017, Alwaleed Philanthropies, a Saudi Arabian charitable foundation, donated $50 million to the United Nations to help eliminate measles, the largest private donation ever to UNICEF. [30]
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians who fled or were expelled during the Nakba, the 1948 Palestine War, and subsequent conflicts, as well as their descendants, including legally adopted children. As of 2019, more than 5.6 million Palestinians are registered with UNRWA as refugees.
The humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake of a magnitude of 9.1 was prompted by one of the worst natural disasters of modern times. On December 26, 2004, the earthquake, which struck off the northwest coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, generated a tsunami that wreaked havoc along much of the rim of the Indian Ocean. Particularly hard-hit were the countries of Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. About 230,000 people were killed, tens of thousands more were injured, and 1.7 million became homeless and displaced.
Many countries and international organizations offered the United States relief aid in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
The international response to the 2005 Kashmir earthquake was widespread and immediate, as many countries, international organizations and non-governmental organizations offered an abundance of relief aid to the affected regions − particularly Pakistan, which was hit the hardest due to the earthquake's epicentre being around Muzaffarabad, the capital city of Pakistani-administered Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The aid given was in the form of monetary donations and pledges, as well as relief supplies including food, various medical supplies, tents and blankets. Rescue and relief workers as well as peacekeeping troops were sent from different parts of the world to the region, bringing along rescue equipment, including helicopters and rescue dogs. The earthquake displaced some 3.3 million people, while killing around 80,000–100,000.
International aid has been provided to Palestinians since at least the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. The Palestinians view the aid as keeping the Israeli–Palestinian peace process going, while Israelis and other foreign policy authorities have raised concerns that it is used to fund terrorism and removes the imperative for Palestinians to negotiate a settlement of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. As a provision of the Oslo Accords, international aid was to be provided to the Palestinians to ensure economic solvency for the Palestinian National Authority (PA). In 2004, it was reported that the PA, within the West Bank and Gaza Strip, receives one of the highest levels of aid in the world. In 2006, economic sanctions and other measures were taken by several countries against the PA, including suspension of international aid following Hamas' victory at the Palestinian Legislative Council election. Aid to the PA resumed in 2008 following the Annapolis Conference, where Hamas was not invited. Aid has been provided to the Palestinian Authority, Palestinian non-governmental organizations (PNGOs) as well as Palestinian political factions by various foreign governments, international organizations, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), and charities, besides other sources.
International Organization for Relief, Welfare and Development, formerly known as the International Islamic Relief Organization or International Islamic Relief Organization of Saudi Arabia (IIROSA), is a charity based in Saudi Arabia founded by the Muslim World League in 1978. It is a full member of The Conference of NGOs, where it serves on the board. The IIRO is included in a list of some of the UNHCR's major NGO partners and has been involved in many joint programmes with UN Agencies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations. It has enjoyed consultative status on the United Nations Economic and Social Council since 1995. It was the first Islamic NGO to gain observer status with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). It used also to be a member of the International Humanitarian City based in Dubai, UAE.
The 2008 Sichuan earthquake, magnitude 7.9. ML, occurred at 14:28:01.42 CST on 12 May 2008, with its epicenter in Wenchuan County, Sichuan province of the People's Republic of China. The disaster galvanized the CANGOs into soliciting numerous monetary donations and other forms of aid from across the globe, which has exceeded a collective total of US$456.9 million in cash contributions from sources outside the country. Inside mainland China, by 14 May, the Ministry of Civil Affairs stated that ¥ 10.7 billion had been donated by the Chinese public alone, including ¥ 4.185 billion yuan in the first week.
Following the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict, an international conference took place on 2 March 2009 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, where donor countries and international bodies pledged almost US$4.5 billion for humanitarian and reconstruction aid for the Gaza Strip. These funds bypassed Hamas, with the PA in collaboration with the donor community taking the lead in delivering and distributing the funds. Damage from the Israeli offensive was estimated to be almost $2 billion. However, actual transfers of aid had been beset by difficulties.
The humanitarian response by national governments to the 2010 Haiti earthquake included numerous national governments from around the world pledging to send humanitarian aid to the Haitian people. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and ReliefWeb are coordinating and tracking this aid.
Following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Japan received messages of condolence and offers of assistance from a range of international leaders. According to Japan's foreign ministry, 163 countries and regions, and 43 international organizations had offered assistance to Japan as of September 15, 2011. The magnitude of the earthquake was estimated at 9.1. This article is a list of charitable and humanitarian responses to the disaster from governments and non-governmental organizations. As of March 2012, donations to areas affected by the disaster totalled ¥520 billion and 930,000 people have assisted in disaster recovery efforts.
Pakistan–Qatar relations refer to the bilateral links between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the State of Qatar. Pakistan has an embassy in Doha; Qatar maintains an embassy in Islamabad and a consulate-general in Karachi. Relations between the two are shaped by Pakistan's generally close relations with the Arab world. Like other nearby gulf states, there is a large Pakistani community in Qatar which numbers over 150 000. They work in diverse fields and send remittances each year. During the 2010 Pakistan floods, Qatar provided timely assistance to the country. After the British left, Pakistan originally called for the territory to be merged into with the Trucial States of the United Arab Emirates, with which it had recognized in the same year despite this however diplomatic relations between the two were established.
Qatar Charity is a humanitarian and development non-governmental organization in the Middle East. It was founded in 1992 in response to the thousands of children who were made orphans by the Afghanistan war and while orphans still remain a priority cause in the organization's work with more than 150,000 sponsored orphans, it has now expanded its fields of action to include six humanitarian fields and seven development fields.
An earthquake struck Nepal at 11:56:54 NST on 25 April 2015 with a moment magnitude of 7.8 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). It was the most powerful earthquake to strike Nepal since the 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake. Many thousands of people died, with most casualties reported in Nepal, and adjoining areas of India, China,Bhutan and Bangladesh.
Qatar’s international aid program has expanded dramatically since the beginning of 2010, and focuses heavily on the Arab world, most notably in the humanitarian crises in Syria and Gaza.
Starting in the mid-1970s and 1980s, Salafism and Wahhabism — along with other Sunni interpretations of Islam favored by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf monarchies — achieved a "preeminent position of strength in the global expression of Islam."
Following the embargo by Arab oil exporters during the Israeli-Arab October 1973 War and the vast increase in petroleum export revenue that followed, the international propagation of Salafism and Wahhabism within Sunni Islam favored by the conservative oil-exporting Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf monarchies achieved a "preeminent position of strength in the global expression of Islam." The Saudi interpretation of Islam not only includes Salafiyya but also Islamist/revivalist Islam, and a "hybrid" of the two interpretations.
Indian foreign aid is the aid given by the Indian government to other governments. India's major quantum of foreign aid is given to neighbouring countries. According to India's budget in 2021–22, its direct overseas aid stood at ₹18,154 crore (US$2.2 billion). That apart, India also extended a direct line of credit worth $30.66 billion to several foreign countries for developmental projects. The way of providing a much larger share of aid in the form of concessional loans is quite similar to that of China. India has set up 'Indian Agency for Partnership in Development' as a part of Ministry of External Affairs (India) to channelize aid to recipient nations.
The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) is a Saudi Arabian government agency that provides development assistance to developing countries by financing social and infrastructure projects. The fund seeks to support the economies of recipient countries by enhancing economic growth and promoting job opportunities. SFD was established in 1974 and began operations in 1975. Through actions including development, finance, trade, and funding, the SFD has continued to expand. Today, it is involved in 3750 projects in 71 countries. The fund is led by H.E. Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb who also serves as the Minister of Tourism for Saudi Arabia.
From 15 June to October 2022, floods in Pakistan killed 1,739 people, and caused ₨ 3.2 trillion of damage and ₨ 3.3 trillion of economic losses. The immediate causes of the floods were heavier than usual monsoon rains and melting glaciers that followed a severe heat wave, both of which are linked to climate change.
Various countries and organizations have responded to the 6 February 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes. At least 105 countries and 16 international organizations had pledged support for victims of the earthquake, including humanitarian aid. More than eleven countries provided teams with search and rescue dogs to locate victims under the debris and monetary support was offered as well.
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