ISLAMABAD: Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki has inaugurated a project to provide solar energy to 1,240 Pakistani schools, benefitting more than 135,000 students annually, state news agency SPA reported on Wednesday.
The project is funded by a grant from Saudi Arabia through the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), in collaboration with the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and under the supervision of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).
“Through implementing the project, the Kingdom of Saudi contributes to achieving the fourth and seventh goals of the Sustainable Development Goals,” SPA said. “These two goals are mainly on the quality of education and providing affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. The project worked on installing solar energy systems, to provide clean, sustainable and renewable electricity in seven hard-to-reach areas in the south of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [province].”
Saudi Arabia, through the SFD, has provided Pakistan three grants totalling more than $333 million to contribute to the implementation of 23 projects.
“As many as 13 of these projects have been completed, while the other 10 projects are still in progress,” SPA reported. “The Fund also provided 21 development loans, with a total amount of about USD 1.2 billion. 12 projects have been completed, while nine are under implementation.”
