Advisor at the Royal Court and Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah participated in an event on Tuesday regarding Syria’s recovery, reconstruction and financial-sector renewal, organized by the State of Qatar and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City.
During his participation, he reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s support for Syria’s stability, recovery and the prosperity of its people.
“Syria stands today at a crossroads and faces an opportunity for a genuine transition from crisis to recovery, and we must not miss this opportunity. Therefore, we stress the need for strong alignment among humanitarian, development and peace approaches, ensuring coherence between humanitarian action, development programs and the peace agenda to move from emergency response to sustainable development,” Al Rabeeah said.
He indicated that Saudi Arabia has provided tangible support to Syria through more than 600 projects with a total value exceeding $1.71 billion, covering humanitarian and development assistance across more than 25 sectors, including energy, health, education, food security and shelter.
He said this reflects Saudi Arabia’s firm conviction that people are the priority in the recovery process and that building the future begins with tangible action on the ground.
Al Rabeeah noted that Saudi Arabia has consistently called for and supported the lifting of sanctions imposed on Syria, recognizing that these restrictions may hinder recovery efforts, limit access to essential resources, and impede the delivery of humanitarian and development assistance.
“We believe that removing these obstacles will contribute to greater stability and boost economic recovery,” he said.
“In this context, we believe that reconstruction efforts cannot succeed by relying on grants alone. What we need is a clear and coordinated partnership approach, based on a unified, actionable plan with clear priorities and timelines and viable projects. This should include a comprehensive financing framework that brings together concessional financing, guarantees and investments, as well as a greater role for Islamic finance, so that national priorities can be translated into bankable projects with sustainable development impact,” he said.
Moreover, he noted that the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) is working with the Syrian Ministry of Finance to support development projects in the energy, water, sanitation, housing and health sectors in the coming months.
Al Rabeeah also cited a practical example of this collaborative approach, noting that Saudi Arabia and Qatar had worked together to support recovery in Syria by focusing on the development sector and supporting salaries, thereby contributing to the continuity of essential services and development progress on the ground.
Additionally, he highlighted the need to translate Syria’s national priorities into bankable and investable projects, noting that the objective is not limited to rebuilding what was destroyed, but also includes building a Syrian economy capable of creating jobs, enhancing self-reliance and achieving sustainable growth.
Source: Riyadh Daily