JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s deputy minister of foreign affairs Waleed Elkhereiji held a series of high-level meetings on Saturday on the sidelines of the Donors’ Conference to Support Internally Displaced People and Refugees in the Sahel and Lake Chad Region.

The conference, held in Jeddah, brought together international representatives to address the humanitarian challenges impacting the region.

Elkhereiji met with Hissein Brahim Taha, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), to review Saudi Arabia’s relations with the OIC across various sectors.

Discussions also covered significant regional and international developments and the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to address these challenges. Saleh Al-Suhaibani, the Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the OIC, was present at the meeting.

In a separate engagement, Elkhereiji met with UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban.

The two officials explored opportunities to enhance Saudi-UNICEF cooperation, focusing on the organization's humanitarian efforts and sustainable development goals (SDGs). Al-Suhaibani and Fareed Al-Shehri, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs branch in the Makkah Region, also attended the meeting.

Elkhereiji also held talks with Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, Mauritania's Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Mauritanians Abroad.

Their discussions centered on strengthening bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Mauritania, while also addressing regional and international developments.

These meetings underscore Saudi Arabia’s active role in fostering international cooperation and addressing pressing humanitarian issues in the Sahel and Lake Chad regions, with the aim of contributing to sustainable development and stability in affected areas.