Saudi Arabia would provide free surgical procedures for needy Nigerians

In support of the Nur-Saudi Voluntary Campaign in Nigeria, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Monday reaffirmed its commitment to organising free surgeries for Nigerian nationals.

At the celebration of the Kingdom’s 93rd National Day held at his residence in Abuja, its ambassador, Mr. Faisal Alghamdi, made the commitment.

He remembered that in 2022, King Salman Al Saud (may Allah protect him), the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, had given his approval to the Nur-Saudi Voluntary Campaign in Nigeria.

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief), through which the campaign will be carried out, will carry it out in stages.

“The first phase, which included numerous open-heart and urological surgeries, was completed. Its objectives included addressing blindness and its causes.

In this regard, I’d like to congratulate the parents of the Nigerian conjoined twins on a job well done during the surgery to separate the twins.

The procedure would make it the 56th time the Kingdom has split conjoined twins from all over the world, he said.

Speaking on Nigeria and Saudi Arabia’s bilateral ties, the ambassador noted that since 1961, the two nations’ historic ties have been steadily strengthening.

Alghamdi predicted that under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the current ties would strengthen.

He wished luck and success to him, his administration, and the Nigerian people.

Additionally, the reciprocal visits help this bilateral relationship flourish on all levels.

Alghamdi further stated that over 200,000 Nigerians travelled to Saudi Arabia in 2022, 95,000 of them on major pilgrimages and more than 90,000 on minor ones.

The Kingdom awarded 200 scholarships to Nigerian students during that time, both male and female, and trade between the two countries exceeded $600 million.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Kingdom’s national day is usually observed on September 23rd, but this year it was observed on September 25 due to the day falling on a Saturday.

The event was also celebrated since King Abdulaziz Al Saud brought the entire Kingdom together.

Government representatives, leaders of diplomatic missions and international organisations, well-known businesspeople and women, among others, attended the ceremony. (NAN)