YEAR PLAN, CALLING IT A CORNERSTONE OF COMBINING THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS FOR A PEACEFUL, SECURE AND DEVELOPED WORLD. THOUGH LIMITED, POVERTY PHENOMENON RECEIVES MUCH CARE FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA, HE SAID, ADDING THAT THE ISSUE WAS GIVEN TOP PRIORITY, CITING THE SET UP OF A SPECIAL FUND FOR COMBATING POVERTY IN THE KINGDOM AND KING ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ FOUNDATION FOR HIS PARENTS FOR DEVELOPMENTAL HOUSING ENDEAVORS TO ALLEVIATE THE PHENOMENON. IN 2005, THE FOUNDATION ESTABLISHED FIVE PROJECTS CONSISTING OF 1294 RESIDENTIAL UNITS BENEFITING 49,000 CITIZENS, HE SAID. HE VOWED THAT SAUDI ARABIA IS PLANNING TO WIPE OUT THE PHENOMENON OF DESTITUTE POVERTY BY 2009. ON THE REGIONAL ARENA, SAUDI ARABIA HAS DONATED MORE THAN ONE BILLION U.S. DOLLARS TO THE POVERTY PROBLEMS TREATMENT FUND, INITIATED BY THE ISLAMIC DEVELOPMENT BANK. ALTHOUGH CONSIDERED A DEVELOPED COUNTRY, SAUDI ARABIA WAS GENEROUS TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO NEEDY COUNTRIES EVERYWHERE, HE SAID, ADDING THAT THE TOTAL AMOUNT PAID BY SAUDI ARABIA AS IRRETRIEVABLE ASSISTANCE OVER THE LAST THREE DECADES REACHED MORE THAN 84 BILLION U.S. DOLLARS, REPRESENTING 4 PERCENT OF THE KINGDOM'S GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT. --MORE
