Helsinki: Saudi Arabia has officially joined the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) donor support group and assumed leadership of a global peace-building initiative during a high-level summit held in Helsinki.
The Kingdom’s delegation, led by Deputy Ambassador to Finland Faisal Al-Shehri and Shatha Al-Ahmadi, head of humanitarian affairs at Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, took part in key discussions on advancing international humanitarian efforts.
ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric praised Saudi Arabia’s contributions, calling the Kingdom “a trusted and vital political partner” and highlighting its growing influence in shaping humanitarian policy. She also commended Saudi efforts in strengthening global commitment to international humanitarian law.
Saudi officials expressed gratitude to the ICRC and Finnish government for organizing the summit and reaffirmed the Kingdom’s dedication to humanitarian causes. They emphasized Saudi Arabia’s belief in the global responsibility to aid conflict victims and uphold humanitarian values.
As leader of the initiative’s third operational track, Saudi Arabia will focus on the intersection of peace-building and international humanitarian law. The delegation called for increased diplomatic engagement, peaceful conflict resolution, and deeper international cooperation.
The summit concluded with a ceremonial handover of donor group leadership from Finland to the United Kingdom. Saudi delegates congratulated the UK and voiced readiness to collaborate closely with all partners to strengthen the multilateral humanitarian system.
