Saudi Arabia allocates grant to renovate Ibn Al Khatib Hospital wards damaged by fire

 Saudi Arabia allocates grant to renovate Ibn Al Khatib Hospital wards damaged by fire

The aftermath of the fire broke out at Ibn Al-Khatib hospital in Baghdad. Photo: Murtaja Lateef/EPA, via Shutterstock

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Saudi government, represented by the Saudi Fund for Development, announced it will provide a grant to Iraq to finance a project to renovate the wards damaged by fire in Ibn Al-Khatib Hospital in the capital, Baghdad.

CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development, Sultan Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, and the Iraqi Ambassador to the Saudi Arabia, Abdul-Sattar Hadi Al-Janabi, on behalf of the Iraqi Ministry of Finance, signed on Monday a memorandum of understanding to finance the project.

The signing ceremony was attended by the Saudi Ambassador to Iraq, Abdulaziz Bin Khalid Al- Shammari, and officials from both sides.

The memorandum of understanding represents a contribution from Saudi Arabia to help Iraq overcome the damaging consequences of the fire broke out in Ibn Al-Khatib Hospital in April 2021.

Al-Janabi indicated the importance of the great role played by the Saudi Fund for Development in supporting the health sector in Iraq through this memorandum. He explained that this memorandum contributes to the development of infrastructure in Iraq and this project represents great importance for the Iraqi citizens.

Al-Marshad confirmed that this memorandum reflects Saudi Arabia’s keenness to provide the necessary support to Iraq as well as integrated health services for the Iraqis.

Saudi Arabia, during the Kuwait International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq, announced the allocation of 1.5 billion USD to provide loans through the Saudi Fund for Development to finance projects and development programs in Iraq.

Two development agreements worth more than 40 million USD were previously signed to finance two projects in the health and agricultural sectors. The two projects are the construction of Al-Saqlawiyah Hospital in Anbar governorate, and the construction of a silo to store wheat in the city of Al Diwaniyah in Al-Qadisiyah governorate to achieve food security and self-sufficiency.