ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
This study explores Saudi Arabia's strategic use of humanitarian aid diplomacy, focusing on the role of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief). Since its establishment in 1974, the SFD has provided soft loans and technical assistance to stimulate economic growth in developing countries, while KSRelief, founded in 2015, has centralized the Kingdom’s humanitarian efforts. These organizations have enabled Saudi Arabia to respond effectively to both natural disasters and conflict-driven humanitarian crises in regions such as Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Saudi Arabia’s commitment to global humanitarian assistance is further demonstrated by its contributions to multilateral organizations, including the Global Fund, the World Bank, and various UN agencies. As the largest donor to the Global Fund in the Gulf region, the Kingdom has pledged substantial financial resources, enhancing its position as a global leader in aid and development. Additionally, Saudi Arabia's participation in the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) in 2018 has improved transparency and coordination in its aid delivery. The study also highlights the influence of Islamic principles, where charity and humanitarian work are considered religious obligations, driving the Kingdom's efforts to assist vulnerable populations worldwide. By integrating religious values with modern development strategies, Saudi Arabia has leveraged humanitarian aid as a tool for soft power, strengthening its diplomatic influence and contributing to global stability. This research provides insights into Saudi Arabia’s evolving role in international humanitarian diplomacy and offers recommendations for enhancing its aid effectiveness.
Albylwi, F. (2024). Saudi Arabia as an Emerging Donor: Understanding Its Foreign Aid (Doctoral dissertation, University of Pittsburgh).
Almfleah, A. B. M. A. (2024). The Social Responsibility of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre and its Role in Promoting Public Diplomacy: An Analysis of its Digital Platforms. International Journal of Media and Mass Communication (IJMMC), 6(1), 17-39.
Alrabeeah, A., & Alharbi, S. (2020). King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre: Humanitarian relief and development assistance to Yemen. Journal of Humanitarian Assistance, 17(4), 75-89.
Balfaqih, M., Al-Tayyar, S., & Alyahya, H. (2022). Saudi Arabia's response to the COVID-19 pandemic: Contributions by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre. International Journal of Humanitarian Studies, 6(2), 102-120.
Barnett, M. (2018). Human rights, humanitarianism, and the practices of humanity. International Theory, 10(3), 314-349.
Cross, R. (2016). Humanitarian diplomacy and principled humanitarian action. International review of the Red Cross, 97(897/898), 445-452.
Derbal, N. (2022). Humanitarian and Relief Organizations in Global Saudi Da?wa. Wahhabism and the World, 114-132.
Felfeli, A. (2023). Humanitarian diplomacy. In The Palgrave handbook of diplomatic thought and practice in the digital age (pp. 173-199). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Hamid, M. (2022). Why the World Needs Partnership with Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia’s Global Humanitarian and Development Aid. KFCRIS Special Report. Retrieved January, 13, 2022.
Khan, R., & Syed, N. K. (2022). Efforts of Saudi Arabia to meet the sustainable development goals of the United Nations: a study on'The Line'project. International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development, 12(3-4), 159-181.
Lowe, K. A. (2019). The Red Cross and the laws of war, 1863–1949: International rights activism before human rights. In The Routledge History of Human Rights (pp. 75-96). Routledge.
Palik, J. (2024). External Intervention and Domestic Instrumentalization: A Structured, Focused Comparison of Iran and Saudi Arabia's Role in Yemen. In A Comparative Historical and Typological Approach to the Middle Eastern State System: Taking Stein Rokkan's Ambitions Beyond Europe (pp. 191-218). Emerald Publishing Limited.
Turunen, S. (2019). Humanitarian diplomacy: Redefining the way humanitarian aid is negotiated and delivered. Journal of International Relations and Development, 22(3), 545-560.
Al-Thabeti, M. A. M., Murshed, A. A. W. M., & Rahman, M. Z. B. A. (2024). King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre as a Model for Aid Diplomacy Humanity: A Study from an Islamic Perspective. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(10), 1179–1190.
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode