Khartoum, January 30.2023

The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) participated today in the inauguration ceremony to start the implementation of the project to provide drinking water to Sudan's rural areas. Funded by the government of Saudi Arabia through SFD, the grant is estimated at USD100 million and will be used to develop 1,300 underground wells, of which 500 wells will be implemented in the first phase. The ceremony was attended by the Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of the Republic of the Sudan, Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan.

The ceremony’s attendees, furthermore, included the SFD delegation headed by the Director-General of Operations in the Middle East and North Africa, Eng. Bandar bin Abdullah Al-Obaid, Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Sudan Ali bin Hassan Jafar, Sudan’s Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources, Director General of the Dams Implementation Unit  and officials from both countries.

This project is part of the ongoing efforts undertaken by SFD to promote development in developing countries. The project, which aims to supporting social and economic development in the country, will provide 120,000 cubic meters of water daily to Sudan’s rural and remote areas, especially regions far from the Nile River. The project will serve more than 3 million beneficiaries, achieve sustainable development, and ensure water and food security in the country.

The Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of the Republic of the Sudan, Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, praised the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s role, through SFD, in financing this vital project, which will ensure water security in the country. Al-Burhan expressed his appreciation for the bilateral relations between the two countries in the development fields.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Sudan, H.E. Ali bin Hassan Jaafar, stressed the importance of this project and highlighted that this initiative reflects the Kingdom’s interest in supporting Sudan’s development sectors and symbolizes the strong ties and partnership between the two countries.

Director-General of Operations in the Middle East and North Africa in SFD, Eng. Bandar bin Abdullah Al-Obaid, said, “This project reflects the Kingdom’s interest in supporting Sudan to achieve the country’s sustainable water and food security.” Al-Obaid praised the joint development relations between the two countries, extending for more than 48 years. He wished for further progress, growth, and prosperity for Sudan.

Since 1975, the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through SFD, has supported 19 projects and programs in Sudan, estimated at more than USD 866 million and further provided the country with three grants, estimated at USD 117 million. The Water project reflects the extension of the solid historical relations and close partnership between the two countries and people.