DiplomaticQuarter: Lebanese envoy praises KSrelief’s aid for Syrian refugees

Lebanon’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Fawzi Kabbara meets Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, supervisor general of KSrelief, in Riyadh. (SPA)
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Updated 04 February 2021
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DiplomaticQuarter: Lebanese envoy praises KSrelief’s aid for Syrian refugees

RIYADH: Lebanon’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Fawzi Kabbara, has praised the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) for its assistance with Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Kabbara met Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, supervisor general of  KSrelief in Riyadh, for discussions on issues of mutual interest related to relief and humanitarian affairs, housing, food, educational and medical assistance being provided by the KSrelief for the Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

The officials also discussed ways to provide medical aid for needy people in Lebanon and assist them to face the coronavirus pandemic, as well as providing vaccines.

Kabbara expressed his admiration for the tremendous efforts being exerted by the KSrelief for Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Saudi Arabia has implemented humanitarian aid and relief projects for the Syrian people both inside Syria and for Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan in cooperation with UN agencies and other international and regional organizations.

The Kingdom has also hosted about 262,000 Syrian refugees, providing health care, education and employment opportunities.

The envoy also praised the Saudi airlift to help victims of the Beirut Port explosion on Aug. 4, 2020, commending the professional and advanced performance of KSrelief in its humanitarian work.

Nearly 200 people were killed and more than 5,000 injured in the blast, which ravaged large areas of the Lebanese capital and destroyed vital infrastructure, including grain storage silos and port facilities.

Saudi Arabia was at the forefront of an international relief effort to help victims of the explosion, sending two aircraft carrying 120 tons of medical and emergency supplies to the devastated city.

A specialist team from KSrelief supervised distribution of the aid.

KSrelief has implemented 1,475 projects worth nearly $4.9 billion in 59 countries. The initiatives were carried out in cooperation with 144 local, regional and international partners since the inception of the center in May 2015.

According to a recent KSrelief report, the countries and territories that benefited the most from the center’s projects include Yemen ($3.42 billion), Palestine ($362 million), Syria ($300 million) and Somalia ($198 million).
 


Transport minister oversees operations as King Khalid Airport resumes service

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Transport minister oversees operations as King Khalid Airport resumes service

  • Saleh Al-Jasser inspects facilities, assesses measures taken to restore passenger flow 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s minister of transport oversaw operational procedures at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday after heavy rain reportedly brought it to a near standstill on Friday.

Saleh Al-Jasser inspected the airport’s facilities and assessed measures taken to restore smooth passenger flow, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

He also received a technical briefing at the operations center from Raed Al-Idrissi, the CEO of Matarat Holding, on airport operations and flight punctuality, and the implementation of Passenger Rights Protection Regulations.

He ordered the necessary reviews to ensure sustained operational discipline under all conditions.

Al-Jasser was accompanied by the General Authority of Civil Aviation’s President Abdulaziz Al-Duailej; Ayman AboAbah, the CEO of Riyadh Airports Company; and several senior officials from the airport.

Thousands of passengers traveling to and from the airport were left stranded on Friday due to a slew of cancellations and delays.

Saudia and flyadeal were among the aviation firms who faced difficulties, with the two airlines blaming temporary operational challenges for the issues.

A statement from the airport on its official X account had urged travelers to contact airlines directly before heading to the aviation hub to verify the updated status and timing of their flights.

The statement said: “King Khalid International Airport would like to inform you that, due to the concurrence of a number of operational factors over the past two days — including several flights diverting from other airports to King Khalid International Airport, in addition to scheduled maintenance works within the fuel supply system — this has resulted in an impact on the schedules of some flights, including the delay or cancellation of a number of flights operated by certain airlines.”

Airport sources told Arab News that the issue resulted from the heavy rain Riyadh experienced on Friday.

Water had reportedly got into the fuel tankers set to refuel jets, and several airlines then struggled to reschedule passengers.