Since the beginning of the massive humanitarian crisis caused by the Syrian civil war, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has chosen not to publicly discuss its efforts to support its Syria brothers and sisters in their distress, an official statement of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has declared. The ministry continued by saying that though the Kingdom has been addressing the problem from both a religious and humanitarian perspective, it has not wished to boast of its efforts or seem to be attempting to gain media coverage. However, in order to rectify recently released false and misleading information concerning the Kingdom’s efforts, the ministry has decided to officially make these efforts known :

  1. Since the beginning of the conflict, the Kingdom has received approximately 2.5 million Syrian refugees. In order to spare them the indignity of encampments, the Kingdom has allowed them to move freely about the country, and those wishing to remain in Saudi Arabia in perpetuity (some hundreds of thousands) have been given legal residency. This residency grants them the rights to free medical care, to work, and to attend schools and universities. In 2012 a royal decree declared that public schools must accept Syrian students, and more than 100,000 have accepted the offer.

  2. The Kingdom has also provided support and care to millions of Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, and other nations. This humanitarian assistance has been carried out in coordination with the host governments and various international human aid organizations. It has consisted of money and food, as well as medical, academic and residential supplies. Further, Saudi specialized clinics have been set up in refugee camps, such as at Zaatari Camp in Jordan, that have been able to provide immunizations, preventive treatment and medical procedures. Finally, the Kingdom has sponsored a large number of Syrian families living in Lebanon and Syria by paying for their rent and living costs.

  3. To this date, Saudi Arabia has provided approximately $700 million in assistance to the Syrian people, according to the statistics of the Third International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria, which took place in Kuwait on March 31, 2015. This figure includes both government aid and aid provided by the National Campaign.

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs concluded by stating that the Kingdom has every intention of maintaining its support for the Syrian people and will use its central role in the Muslim world to encourage other nations and donors to do the same to the best of their abilities. Further, with its considerable finances and sense of duty to the Arab community, it will remain a leader in humanitarian assistance to the Syrian crisis to the extent that none may legitimately question its integrity and dedication.