​Dr Ibrahim Al-Assaf, the Saudi Finance Minister, said that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, upon the instructions of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, has donated 1 billion American Dollars in support of programs and development projects inside the Republic of Yemen.​

This statement was released during a conference for donor countries, held in London, on Wednesday 15 November, attended by the President of the Republic of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh. His Excellency, the Saudi Minister, praised the Saudi-Yemeni Co-operation Council and its role in enhancing the cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The Council is headed by Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, representing the Kingdom, and by the Yemeni Prime Minister, Abdulkadar Bajamal.

His Excellency Ibrahim Al-Assaf paid tribute to the economic and administrative reforms in Yemen, and reiterated his country’s support for all the development efforts in the Republic.

The conference was organized jointly by the Gulf Cooperation Council, the UK and The World Bank.