Egypt, Yemen are top recipients of Saudi aid

Saudi Arabia has given Arab nations SR85 billion ($22.7 billion) in direct aid over 40 months, local media reported, quoting a report released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Egypt captured the biggest portion at SR24.4 billion ($6.5 billion), with SR22.3 billion ($5.9 billion) delivered directly to the country. Saudi direct aid represented nearly 2.3 percent of Egypt’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Yemen was the second top recipient of direct aid, with SR14.3 billion ($3.8 billion) allocated, but only SR4.4 billion ($1.2 billion) delivered due to political developments in that country. Saudi direct aid represented nearly 8.4 percent of Yemen’s GDP, the report said.

Jordan was the third top recipient, with SR11.2 billion ($3 billion) allocated but SR7.2 billion ($1.9 billion) delivered. This represented nearly 8.1 percent of Jordan’s GDP, the report said.

Bahrain came in fourth, with the Saudi government allocating SR10.7 billion ($2.8 billion), which represented nearly 8.4 percent of its GDP. Oman was fifth at SR9.4 billion ($2.5 billion), representing nearly 3.1 percent of its GDP, the report said.

The West Bank and Gaza Strip were sixth at SR6.7 billion ($1.8 billion) which represented nearly 14.4 percent of the Palestinian GDP, followed by Morocco at SR6.1 billion ($1.6 billion), or 1.5 percent of its GDP, Sudan at SR2 billion ($527 million), or 0.8 percent of its GDP, and Djibouti at SR255 million ($68 million, or 4.3 percent of its GDP, the report said.

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