22 April 2025 

Your Highness Princess Nouf bint Muhammad bin Abdullah,

Excellencies,

Distinguished guests, 

It gives me great pleasure to join you here to today to discuss the strategic partnership between the World Health Organization and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

I am grateful to our gracious host, the King Khalid Foundation, for bringing us together to explore new opportunities for partnership to advance health across the Eastern Mediterranean Region. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

The WHO is the health agency of the world and one of the few science-based organizations of the United Nations, established 77 years ago. 

We keep the world safe and ensure that everyone, everywhere, can attain the highest possible level of health. 

We lead global efforts to prevent disease, promote health, respond to emergencies, and strengthen health systems through evidence-based policy and partnership. 

The Eastern Mediterranean is among the most challenging of the six WHO Regions. We shoulder more than a third of the global humanitarian burden. And we host millions of displaced people. 

Our Member States expect more than norms, standards and technical support. 

The needs are great, but the opportunities for action are greater. 

For decades, WHO has worked alongside partners in all 22 countries and territories of this Region—supporting Ministries of Health, civil society, and frontline health workers, from national capitals to the most remote areas. 

We understand the health needs of this Region from the ground up and the top down, and we also know its potential. 

Just in the past year, WHO has delivered lifesaving care and medical supplies to millions in Gaza, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and other conflict-affected settings. 

We expanded immunization across the Region and introduced the malaria vaccine in Sudan.

We responded to outbreaks of variant poliovirus in six countries, while strengthening surveillance and response efforts against wild poliovirus in the two countries globally where it remains endemic – Afghanistan and Pakistan. 

We certified Egypt free of malaria, and Pakistan free of trachoma. 

Jordan became the first country globally to receive WHO verification for eliminating leprosy. 

We supported countries to control measles, maternal and neonatal tetanus, and hepatitis C. 

Over 120 member cities of our Healthy Cities Network began monitoring air quality, and we enabled 15 countries to strengthen climate-resilient health systems. 

Thanks to WHO, more countries are improving cancer control, expanding HPV vaccination, and tackling tobacco use. 

Mental health care has grown in 14 countries, and we have put substance use firmly on the regional public health agenda. 

We are also supporting the digital transformation of the Region’s health systems—helping countries improve data systems, adopt evidence-based guidelines, and enhance clinical trial capacity. 

To build on this momentum, WHO has developed a Regional Strategic Operational Plan for 2025–2028, centred on country-led priorities and measurable outcomes, underpinned by transparent monitoring and real-time reporting. 

In the next four years, we will work alongside Member States to promote health and expand access to quality care, strengthen health emergency preparedness and climate resilience, and support the global eradication of polio. 

Our three flagship initiatives will expand the health workforce, increase access to essential medicines, and tackle the rise of substance use. 

Today, in this room, we are surrounded by some of Saudi Arabia’s brightest minds—leaders from the public, private, and philanthropic sectors. 

I look forward to our engaging discussions―to learning about your initiatives, and hearing about your experiences at the forefront of Saudi healthcare and Saudi giving. Increasingly, Saudi Arabia is a health-care leader and convener, and your input and innovations can help us to deliver better on global health priorities. 

Saudi Arabia is undergoing a healthcare revolution. 

You were the third country globally to achieve WHO Maturity Level 4 designation ―based on WHO’s Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT)―and are soon to become the first WHO-Listed Authority (WLA) in the Region. These important steps boost trust in the regulatory system and improve access to quality medicines. 

Across the Kingdom, you are:

Bridging gaps in access and improving care quality;

Investing in workforce development and research;

Innovating in digital health;

Building resilient supply chains; and

Harnessing the power of public-private partnerships. 

You are also bringing this rigour and energy to how you support international development. 

The Kingdom consistently ranks among the world’s largest donors relative to gross national product, or GNI—and in some years, Saudi Arabia has exceeded the UN aid target of 0.7% of GNI, an achievement few countries match. 

Today, Saudi overseas development assistance is more than financial generosity. It offers critical humanitarian and development aid that is increasingly strategic, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and focused on measurable impact. 

Institutions like the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre deliver critical support towards achieving polio eradication and providing life-saving care in conflict-affected countries in our Region and beyond.

This evolution of Saudi philanthropy—from traditional charity to institutionalized, impact-driven giving—resonates deeply with WHO’s approach. 

We share your commitment to evidence-based action, country ownership, and global solidarity. 

That is why investing in WHO is not just a gift—it is a strategic partnership. 

With WHO, your investments translate into immediate impact and long-term transformation. They strengthen systems, build resilience, and save lives—not only in moments of crisis, but in everyday prevention, diagnosis and treatment. 

Together, we can shape a healthier, more resilient Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Together, we can transform generosity into lasting change.