King Abdullah calls on international community to support UN centre for fighting terrorism to get rid of ‘forces of hatred, extremism, criminality’.
RIYADH – King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has announced a further donation of $100 million (75 million euros) to set up a United Nations centre for fighting terrorism, Saudi media reported on Thursday.
Saudi Arabia signed an agreement with the UN in 2011 to create the centre and the oil-rich Gulf monarchy has already donated $10 million towards its launch.
“I announce a donation from the kingdom of Saudi Arabia of $100 million to support this centre and work for its activation under the umbrella of the United Nations,” King Abdullah said in a speech marking Eid al-Fitr, the holiday celebrating the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, quoted by official news agency SPA.
The king called on the international community to support the centre “to get rid of the forces of hatred, extremism and criminality”.
Abdullah floated the idea for the centre in 2005. Saudi Arabia was hit by a wave of attacks attributed to Al-Qaeda militants between 2003 and 2005, and has made fighting terrorism one of its top priorities.