RIYADH: The opening session of the third Strategic Aid Dialogue on international development and humanitarian assistance between Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom took place in London on Monday.
The Saudi delegation was headed by Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, advisor at the Royal Court and supervisor-general of Saudi aid agency KSrelief, and included representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Finance and the Saudi Fund for Development.
The British side was headed by the UK Minister of State for International Development and Africa, Baroness Jennifer Chapman.
In his opening remarks, the Saudi Aid chief said that since their last meeting in Riyadh in May 2024, there had been a significant increase in the role of both Saudi Arabia and the UK in addressing pressing humanitarian and development challenges worldwide. Further cooperation was anticipated between the two countries going forward.
Al-Rabeeah said Saudi Arabia and the UK had collaborated on five projects to date aimed at serving humanitarian work and promoting opportunities for global peace, security and prosperity, with a total cost exceeding $30 million.
He added a workshop on Saudi-British official development assistance was held in London in June 2025, and that the two sides took part in several other meetings and a joint visit to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Al-Rabeeah said officials from both countries were striving to identify promising opportunities to enhance cooperation between them. Saudi Arabia sees tremendous potential in leveraging its strengths in several areas, he added, such as providing healthcare, developing educational infrastructure and implementing livelihood programs.
Al-Rabeeah highlighted the Kingdom’s eagerness to explore further avenues of cooperation with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to successfully transform humanitarian interventions into sustainable aid. He also presented a vision for the future that included a strong partnership that integrated the expertise of both countries.
The third Strategic Aid Dialogue is taking place while humanitarian and development needs continue to increase due to ongoing conflicts, climate shocks and economic instability.
The partnership between Saudi Arabia and the UK is seen as crucial to improving the reality of humanitarian work, with the opening session of the Strategic Dialogue representing an opportunity to review the progress made since the last session and to highlight shared strategic ambitions and priorities.
