Saudi Arabia finances new UN-HABITAT Palestinian training centre – UN-HABITAT press release

01/11/2007
Geneva
The Saudi Arabian government this week pledged US$1.59 million for the establishment of a new technical and vocational training centre for underprivileged Palestinian women living in the occupied West Bank.

In accordance with a Royal Decree by King Abdulla Bin Abel Aziz Al Saud, the funds were committed by the Saudi Committee for the Relief of the Palestinian People. The Project, to be implemented by UN-HABITAT Special Human Settlements Programme for the Palestinian People, will include the construction and furnishing of the centre, and help identify and develop income-generating projects and training programmes.

The Municipality of Al Khalil (Hebron) contributed USD 150,000. Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz, the Saudi Minister of Interior and the committee's General Supervisor, has sought to speed up implementation of the project to alleviate the suffering of the affected Palestinian people.

The new centre will be the second project financed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as part of a portfolio of activities being implemented within the framework of the UN-HABITAT/Special Human Settlements Programme for the Palestinian People. The other project is the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz City for Charity Housing-Al Khalil / Establishment of a Housing and Income Generating Programme for Poor Women in Al Khalil at a total cost of US$ 6.3 million.

Dr. Sa'id Al-Orabi Al-Harthi, Advisor to the Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Saudi Committee for the Relief of the Palestinian People said that the Saudi Committee has been implementing about 40 relief and humanitarian programs and projects in the Palestinian territories at a total cost equivalent to USD 200 million.