RIYADH, 30 June 2003 — Saudi Arabia has donated 25 ambulances to Bangladesh to carry out relief operations for cyclone and flood victims. The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) has delivered these ambulances on behalf of the Kingdom, according to Ahmad ibn Muhammad Al-Ghanam, economic adviser at SFD.
Al-Ghanam said that the ambulances and other provisions for the health sector in Bangladesh made available by the Kingdom was part of the SR400 million assistance provided by the Saudi government following the devastation caused by the cyclone recently.
He said the aid was being used to finance a number of projects and repair damaged utilities in that country.
The Saudi aid has helped Dhaka to build cyclone centers along the coastal areas. The Kingdom has also assisted in building primary schools and other facilities.
Bangladeshi Ambassador S.K. Sharjil Hassan said yesterday that the total assistance provided by SFD exceeds SR3.75 billion so far. But the country still requires more cyclone centers and other facilities along the coastal areas to help prevent human casualties in future.
A project for the construction of 10 multipurpose buildings in offshore areas of the port city of Chittagong has been implemented with the help of Saudi assistance.
SFD also built roads and extended a credit facility for several projects in Bangladesh in the areas of rural electrification, infrastructure development and bridge construction.
He said the SFD and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) were the two major institutions responsible for funding projects in Bangladesh.
The ambassador said the two countries had also forged closer commercial relations. Export promotion to Saudi Arabia was Bangladesh’s priority, and he had been discussing a strategy for boosting Bangladeshi exports to the Kingdom with Saudi officials.
