Riyadh, September 1st – Ambassador Vladimir Gonzalez attended the gala dinner offered by the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), on the occasion of its half-century of history since it was founded in September 1974 as a governmental institution to provide financial support to development projects in third world countries.
The event was headed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Fund, Mr. Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb, and His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, current Chairman of the King Faisal Foundation's Center for Research and Islamic Studies, as well as other national and foreign authorities and personalities.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Al-Khateeb highlighted the global impact that the Fund has had over the past five decades, contributing to some 800 development projects in 100 countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America, worth approximately 20 billion dollars. These projects have focused on the education, health, water, energy, agriculture, transport and other sectors.
The celebration included the opening of an illustrative exhibition showing the contribution of the Fund, as a member of the international development community, to different projects and programs of great importance in different countries, contributing to their economic and social growth and to improving the standard of living of their population.
These projects include those implemented in Cuba, such as the rehabilitation of the drinking water network in Havana city in March 2013; the rehabilitation of the water supply and sanitation system in Camagüey city in December 2014; and the rehabilitation and construction of several social projects in Old Havana in May 2017. Two other new projects were approved in May 2023 and are in full process of implementation.
The SFD began its collaboration with Cuba in 2010 and since then several agreements has been signed and executed as proof of the will of both parties to continue the exchange in economic and commercial fields.
At the end of the gala dinner, Ambassador Vladimir had the opportunity to personally greet the president of the Board of Directors of the SFD, Mr. Al-Khateeb, as well as its executive president, Mr. Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, to whom he conveyed congratulations on behalf of the Cuban authorities for the 50th anniversary of this institution. Previously, a letter of congratulations had been sent to Mr. Al-Marshad on the same basis, signed by the Deputy Prime Minister Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz. (EmbaCuba Arabia Saudita)