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Saudi Arabia Donates USD 10 Million to Support Mauritius

Pays
Île Maurice
+ 1
Sources
Govt. Saudi Arabia
Date de publication

RIYADH, 12 May, 2019 - King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) announced today the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s donation of USD 10,000,000 to provide humanitarian assistance to Mauritius.

The announcement ceremony, which was held at KSrelief’s Riyadh headquarters, was attended by Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Advisor – Royal Court and Supervisor General of KSrelief, and Mr. Showkutally Soodhun, President of the Ruling Party in Mauritius.

Dr. Al Rabeeah’s remarks at the event were as follows:

“Pursuant to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian role and under the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, we are pleased to announce today the provision of a donation of USD 10 million to support the government and the people of Mauritius due to the cyclone that recently caused extensive damage and severe loss to the country. This donation will help to alleviate the suffering of the people of Mauritius during this crisis, and will fund projects in the shelter, health and food sectors to assist with rapid interventions to address the after-effects of the cyclone.

“Saudi Arabia is also providing 50 tons of dates as an additional contribution during the Holy Month of Ramadan to support families in need in light of the current crisis.

“We affirm Saudi Arabia's keenness to continue in its pioneering humanitarian role around the world; the Kingdom has supported more than (81) countries with an amount exceeding USD (86) billion; it is committed to following international humanitarian principles for providing impartial assistance, and our main goal is to alleviate the suffering of all people in need.

“In conclusion, we wish for every person in Mauritius a life of safety and stability, and we hope that this donation assists them to face the effects of the cyclone and that it conveys the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to the values of tolerance and generosity.”

For his part, Mr. Soodhun, had the following words to say at the event. “It gives me immense pleasure,” he began, “to be with you today for this signing ceremony.

“On behalf of the Government and the people of the Republic of Mauritius, I wish to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, for extending a grant of USD 10 million to Mauritius, through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre. This grant will enable us to provide immediate humanitarian support to victims of cyclones, floods and other natural calamities – particularly people who are the most vulnerable when facing such calamities. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been our ever-faithful and active partner in the socio-economic transformation of our country.

“The visits of His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz Bin Saud Bin Naif Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Minister of Interior, HE Adel Al Jubeir, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, HE Dr. Mohammed Salih bin Taher Benten, Minister of Hajj and Umrah, and HE Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Kattan, Minister of States for African Affairs to Mauritius, as well as the recent visit of the Honorable Minister of Tourism of Mauritius to Saudi Arabia, all showcase the dynamic nature of our bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia.

“It is worth pointing out that the special and privileged partnership between Saudi Arabia and Mauritius has been further enhanced by the opening up of the Consulate General of Saudi Arabia in Mauritius last year. In this respect, I am pleased to announce that our Government has agreed to provide a plot of land for the construction of the Consulate.

“It is our earnest desire to further deepen our collaboration and strengthen our relations with Saudi Arabia. In this context, we are grateful for the facilities provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the setting up of a Consulate in Jeddah in the near future. I take this opportunity to thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for generously agreeing to meet the rental costs of the premises for our Consulate General in Jeddah for the first year. I also wish to thank your Government for increasing the number of visas allocated to Mauritius in respect to the Haj pilgrimage.”

“I also wish to take this opportunity to convey my heartfelt appreciation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its invaluable help in the realization of several projects in Mauritius, thus contributing to the upgrading of our economic and social development agenda.

“As you are all aware, Mauritius has last year signed three Loan Agreements with the Saudi Fund for Development for the financing of a Teaching Hospital, Cancer Hospital, Multi-sports Complex and Social Housing Sector Projects. The realization of these projects will help to significantly upgrade the quality of life of the population of Mauritius.

“I also wish to highlight that through these numerous grants, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is contributing immensely to our infrastructure development, including:

  • The construction of 2,000 housing units which will provide decent shelter and improve the wellbeing of the most socially-vulnerable citizens of our country.

  • The construction of a Cancer Hospital which will greatly alleviate the suffering of patients who have no recourse for treatment abroad because of the high costs of such treatment.

  • The Multi-sports Complex which will be used specifically to host major sports activities such as the upcoming 'Indian Ocean Island Games', which will take place in July of this year.”

“I wish to conclude by thanking the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the kind hospitality and facilities put at our disposal during our short visit. I also take this opportunity to reiterate our sincere gratitude to the Kingdom for its continued financial assistance to sustain the development of our country. We hope that this collaboration continues in the future.

“And also allow me,” he concluded, “on the occasion of the auspicious month of Ramadan, to convey to you and your family lots of goodness, happiness and peace.”