Riyadh, Wednesday 26 February 2025

The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) has concluded its participation in the 4th Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum, organized by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) under the generous patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, from 24 to 25 February 2025.

During the forum, the Chief Executive Officer of SFD, Mr. Sultan Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, delivered an keynote speech in a panel discussion titled “Navigating the Humanitarian, Development and Peace Nexus: Global Efforts, Best Practices and Strategies”, In his remarks, he emphasized the importance of unifying joint efforts to achieve development in various developing countries worldwide and highlighted the need for sustainable solutions to address future challenges.

Additionally, the Deputy CEO of SFD, Eng. Faisal bin Mohammed Al-Kahtani, showcased the Fund’s development activities and their integration with humanitarian efforts during the session. He highlighted SFD’s role in creating developmental impact in less-developed communities across the globe. The session featured participation from representatives of the German Federal Foreign Office’s humanitarian aid division, the United Nations University for Peace, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).

On the sidelines of the forum, Mr. Sultan Al-Marshad met with Ms. Kelly T. Clements, Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees at the United Nations, in the presence of Dr. Khaled Khalifa, UNHCR Senior Advisor and Representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries. He also held meetings with Lady Roslyn Morauta, Chair of the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, along with her accompanying delegation; Mr. Jorge Moreira da Silva, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS); and Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. These meetings focused on reviewing development relations and exploring opportunities to strengthen development cooperation.

As part of its participation, SFD showcased its key development contributions and success stories through an interactive exhibition booth, highlighting projects and programs funded by the Fund in various developing countries over the past 50 years. The booth attracted visits from high-level dignitaries, senior officials from international and development organizations, and visitors from the Kingdom and around the world.

It is noteworthy that since its establishment in 1975, the Saudi Fund for Development has financed more than 800 development projects and programs across diverse sectors in over 100 developing countries, contributing to sustainable social growth and economic prosperity.