Riyadh: The governor of Erbil and his delegation met with the Saudi Fund for Development to discuss the issue of water scarcity

Today, Wednesday, July 5, 2023, the Governor of Erbil, Omed Khoshnaw, and his accompanying delegation met in Riyadh with the President and Executive Director of the Saudi Fund for Development, Sheikh Sultan Murshid Abdul Rahman, and the Deputy Executive Director, Eng. Faisal Al-Qahtani, and the Director General of the Arab Countries Department, Eng. Bandar Al-Obeid, and the Director-General of Water and Sanitation, Dr. Randa Al-Hudhali.

The Saudi Fund for Development team examined the Fund's goals and activities in giving aid to dozens of nations in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America since its inception in 1974 until now in an expanded meeting.

The Saudi team acknowledged that the Fund had undertaken over 700 strategic projects in the fields of health, water, sanitation, education, and dams, and offered a thorough overview of its work via video.

For his part, Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw and his accompanying delegation thanked the CEO and the Saudi Fund for Development team for receiving them and welcoming them to visit Riyadh. He also conveyed Masrour Barzani's greetings to the Saudi Fund delegation and extended an invitation for them to visit the Kurdistan Region.

After introducing the delegation members, Khoshnaw highlighted the historical ties between Saudi Arabia and the Kurdistan Region and clarified the purpose of their visit. He also discussed the business and project priorities in Erbil.

The Governor of Erbil spoke about the humanitarian activities of the Saudi government, in particular those provided by the Saudi Fund for Development, "which was at the forefront of providing public service projects to countries and a permanent haven for those in need of these projects."

In addition, Khoshnaw provided a detailed explanation of climate change, which he stated "has become a major issue today and is being discussed at the highest levels around the world."

Calling the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to provide Kurdistan Region with assistance in this regard.

Khoshnaw stated, "The demand for clean water is increasing day by day, and Erbil has become a haven for more than tens of thousands of displaced persons and refugees abandoning their homelands for safety reasons. Erbil's citizens require water for all of this."

Massoud Karish, the Deputy Governor of Erbil, presented the Erbil expansion plan and the nature and risks of the clean water problem, stating that the water issue "will become a real crisis if the current situation persists over the next few years."

The participants then discussed the technical aspects of the clean water investment project's implementation.

It is worth noting that the governor is accompanied on this visit by Masoud Karash, Deputy Governor of Erbil, Sheikh Mahmoud, Managing Director of Kar Company, Dr. Abd Elah, former Iraqi Minister of Agriculture, Ari Ahmed, Director General of Water in the Region, Zardasht Abd al-Khaliq, Director of Erbil Water, and Rikan Muhammad. Zaki, Director of Relations in Erbil Governorate, and Business Owners Bashar Mushir Agha and Dr. Seragedin.

The Saudi Fund for Development is part of the Project Development Fund and is intended to provide comprehensive and practical support and innovation to donor countries.