Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman. (SPA)

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman on Wednesday launched a relief body bearing his name with a SR1 billion donation.

Addressing the ceremony to lay the foundation stone at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, the king said: “To the recently allocated amount of more than SR1 billion, we hereby announce the allocation of an additional amount of SR1 billion to this center, all of which is in response to the humanitarian and relief needs of the brotherly Yemeni people.”

The king said that the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Works has been set up based “on the teachings of our noble and tolerant religion of Islam” that calls on Muslims to help others, particularly during disasters.

“The center’s mission and goals will always focus on purely humanitarian considerations, free from any other motives, and to cooperate with similar accredited international relief organizations,” he added.

There would be a focus on ensuring support for the Yemeni people as part of Operation Restoring Hope. He said Yemenis are “very dear to our hearts.”

In a speech at the event, Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, the former health minister who is an adviser at the royal court and supervisor general of the center, praised King Salman for setting up the organization.

He said this is further proof that the Kingdom is concerned about the welfare of needy people throughout the world regardless of ethnicity and beliefs, and would continue providing aid for them.

The Kingdom was at the forefront of relief operations in the world “in value and volume,” said Al-Rabeeah, and promised that he and his colleagues would fulfill the mandate given to them.

He said the organization was an ideal vehicle because it brings the Kingdom’s humanitarian and relief works under the umbrella of the center, which is a completely independent organization.

The money set aside for the Yemeni people would help alleviate their suffering, said Al-Rabeeah.

Those in attendance included Yemen’s President Abed Rabbo Mansoor Hadi and Prime Minister Khalid bin Mahfoodh Bahah. Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar and a host of princes, ministers, top royal court officials, ambassadors and heads of relief and humanitarian organizations were also present.

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