Date: 22/12/2025
• He praised the unlimited Saudi support, reflecting a principled commitment to the Palestinian cause.
• He emphasized the importance of establishing a sustainable partnership between the Department of Refugee Affairs and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, based on emergency interventions and development projects in Palestinian camps.
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Member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Head of the Department of Refugee Affairs, Dr. Ahmad Abu Holi, held a high-level meeting in Riyadh with the Assistant Supervisor General for Operations and Programs at the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), Eng. Ahmed Al-Baiz, to discuss ways to enhance cooperation in areas of mutual humanitarian interest, increase financial support to UNRWA to address the significant deficit in its regular budget, strengthen humanitarian partnership, and meet the emergency and developmental needs of Palestinian refugees.
During the meeting, held at the headquarters of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Abu Holi briefed Eng. Al-Baiz on the latest political developments in the Palestinian territories, in light of the continued Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, the escalation of ethnic cleansing policies, forced displacement, settlement expansion, land confiscation, annexation, destruction of camps in the northern West Bank, and the Judaization of the city of Jerusalem by the Israeli occupying power. He also highlighted the financial war waged against the State of Palestine aimed at undermining its institutions and obstructing development by withholding Palestinian clearance revenues, leading to accumulated debts reaching 13 billion shekels (USD 4 billion).
Abu Holi also informed Eng. Al-Baiz about the living conditions of Palestinian refugees in UNRWA’s areas of operation in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, as well as the Israeli military aggression on camps in the northern West Bank and its serious repercussions. He further warned of the financial crisis facing UNRWA, cautioning against the dangers of the chronic budget deficit, which has reached USD 200 million through the end of the first quarter of 2026. This deficit threatens to deprive 600,000 students of education through the closure of 702 schools, halt the operation of 140 health clinics serving 2 million refugees annually, and cut off a lifeline for 1.7 million refugees who rely on relief and social service centers.
Dr. Abu Holi conveyed the greetings and appreciation of President Mahmoud Abbas to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince, praising the historic and leading role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its steadfast positions, and its unlimited support for the Palestinian people, their just cause, and their legitimate rights to return and self-determination. He also commended Saudi Arabia’s leadership of the international conference on the peaceful settlement of the Question of Palestine and the implementation of the two-state solution, co-chaired with France, which resulted in the New York Declaration on the two-state solution adopted by an overwhelming majority of the United Nations General Assembly last September.
Abu Holi stressed that the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre represents a safety valve for humanitarian relief work in Palestine, emphasizing the Centre’s independence and global leadership, having reached 105 countries and implemented more than 2,400 projects benefiting millions of people.
He pointed out that the Centre is a strategic partner and a major donor to UNRWA, highlighting the significant financial contributions it has recently provided—specifically the USD 15 million contribution in November 2023 and the USD 40 million contribution in March 2024—which had a substantial impact on UNRWA’s response to urgent appeals in the Gaza Strip.
The Head of the Department of Refugee Affairs noted that the Centre follows an effective strategy in providing indirect support to the State of Palestine through close partnerships with the Palestine Red Crescent Society and United Nations organizations, implementing development, medical, and relief projects across all Palestinian territories.
Abu Holi affirmed that the Centre’s projects in the Gaza Strip since the start of the genocidal war represent a model of rapid and high-quality emergency response. He praised the ongoing field interventions, including the establishment of water desalination plants, the dispatch of food basket convoys, and the provision of shelter tents for displaced persons amid harsh climatic conditions, in addition to sustained support for the Palestine Red Crescent Society and UNRWA. He also called for including the camps in the northern West Bank within relief operations.
Abu Holi explained that Saudi assistance to Palestine has exceeded USD 6 billion over the past 17 years, embodying the Kingdom’s firm commitment to the Palestinian people. He noted that Saudi Arabia recently provided USD 30 million to the Palestinian government treasury in June, and USD 90 million delivered in December 2025, which significantly contributed to alleviating the financial crisis and strengthening the resilience of national institutions.
He emphasized the importance of establishing a sustainable partnership between the Department of Refugee Affairs and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, based on emergency interventions and development projects in Palestinian camps. These include developing electricity and water networks, rehabilitating homes, supplying water pumps, lighting camp alleys with solar energy, supporting economic empowerment projects for graduate youth, female-headed households, and persons with disabilities, covering university tuition fees for orphaned and extremely poor students in the camps, and establishing specialized centers for elderly care—development projects that fall outside UNRWA’s direct mandate.
Abu Holi called on the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre to provide emergency assistance and housing allowances for more than 40,000 refugees (8,000 families) recently displaced from camps in the northern West Bank, alongside continued support for displaced persons in the Gaza Strip. He also urged the Centre’s management to increase funding directed to UNRWA to cover the expected USD 200 million deficit for the first quarter of 2026.
For his part, Eng. Al-Baiz affirmed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s continuous and unwavering support for the State of Palestine and its people, stressing that Saudi leadership directives mandate exerting all possible efforts to alleviate humanitarian suffering, particularly in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, occupied Jerusalem, and affected refugee camps, through the ongoing relief programs implemented by the Centre in cooperation with international and local partners.
He also affirmed his support for any partnership that enhances humanitarian action in Palestine, emphasizing the Centre’s continued support for UNRWA and its humanitarian programs to enable it to provide services to Palestinian refugees.
