The Kingdom is considered one of the important countries extending international financial assistance, especially to the Arab and Islamic states. Despite this, the Kingdom's generous initiatives have been often met with ungratefulness by some governments and elites in the recipient countries. A few days ago, Sumayya Ali Raja, a Yemeni female intellectual who was often introduced as a former candidate in the presidential elections, appeared on a French TV channel and praised Kuwait’s assistance to Yemen. She did not talk about the Saudi assistance to her country despite its enormous size. Moreover, the tone of her voice was not friendly toward the Kingdom. This woman has no real importance, but what she said reminds us of the attitudes of many others in our Arab and Islamic world who remain ungrateful despite the Kingdom's favors to their countries. They did not appreciate the Kingdom's hospitable attitude toward their countries.
Still fresh in our memories are similar instances that shocked us after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, but there is no need to open old wounds. Recently, voices were raised in Egypt criticizing Saudi Arabia, accusing it of not providing aid and assistance to the country. It was really annoying that Egyptian Prime Minister Kamal El-Ganzouri said in a statement that nothing of the Kingdom's financial pledges to Egypt was honored. Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Saud Al-Faisal replied, stating that the Kingdom provided Egypt with a package of financial assistance to the amount of $ 3.75 billion. Prince Saud presented the details of the distribution of this package last Saturday.
Quoting the official Egyptian Middle East News Agency (MENA), Al-Wafd newspaper published a news story in which the deputy governor of the central bank, Nidal El-Kassem, said: "The Kingdom has presented a unique example in the support of Egypt during the economic crisis that came in the aftermath of the revolution of January 25." He said Saudi Arabia was the single country that translated its pledges into actions. He added that he himself had lately signed agreements with Saudi officials envisaging large sums of money, which were pumped into the Egyptian economy.
It is nice to make such a statement, and it was also nice that the statement was published by Egyptian media for nothing but making the brotherly Egyptian people realize that what had previously been said about the Kingdom was not correct.
In principle, Saudi Arabia does not give assistance to the brotherly and friendly countries to be praised, but when its assistance is received with denial and blame it becomes necessary to explain the facts. For this very reason, the statements of the deputy governor of the Egyptian central bank published by the Egyptian newspapers were important and would better serve the extraordinary relations between the two countries.
Any country, no matter how rich, will still have ample financial commitments toward its people, development projects and future generations. When such a country chooses to extend foreign assistance, it will be doing that out of its duty toward the brothers and friends. It would be great if such an attitude is not reciprocated by denial and blame.
Al-Jazeera newspaper