RIYADH — Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf Bin Said Al-Malki inaugurated on Tuesday a solar project to provide energy to 1,240 schools, benefiting more than 135,000 students annually. The project, which is funded by Saudi Arabia through the Saudi Fund for Development, is part of the Kingdom's efforts to support development projects in the education sector. It is the first project the Saudi Fund for Development has carried out in cooperation with the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development (FCDO). Managed and supervised by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the project was one of the most important projects in which the Kingdom has contributed to achieving the fourth and seventh goals of sustainable development, which are related to quality education and the provision of clean energy. As part of the project, solar energy panels have been installed to provide clean, sustainable and renewable electricity in seven hard-to-reach areas in the south of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The project comes as an affirmation of the Kingdom's keenness to boost cooperation and solidarity between the two countries, government and people, and to strengthen bilateral relations, as well as to raise the standard of living of the Pakistani people. On the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony, the ambassador said that Saudi Arabia is keen on helping Pakistan achieve its development projects in various sectors through the Saudi Fund for Development. "We are pleased to cooperate with the government of Pakistan and with international organizations to achieve a decent life for the Pakistani people and achieve economic growth and prosperity in Pakistan, in accordance with the development and economic plans," he added. It is noteworthy that the Saudi government through the Saudi Fund for Development has provided 3 grants worth more than $333 million dollars for the implementation of 23 projects, of which 13 have been completed, and are being implemented. Additionally, the fund has provided 21 development project loans worth nearly $1.2 billion, of which 12 projects have been completed, and 9 are currently being implemented. The Saudi Fund for Development is one of the largest active entities in providing sustainable development assistance. Since 1975, the fund has helped many developing countries achieve stability and prosperity in line with the Kingdom's vision 2030.
