Saudi Arabia promises Sudan $1.5B grant

By Jafar Qasim

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AA) - Sudan has announced that it had obtained a promise from Saudi Arabia to pay $1.5 billion, as a grant and part of the economic aid which was announced in 2019.

“Saudi Arabia and the UAE pledged to provide $3 billion to Sudan in April 2019, following the overthrow of the regime of former President Omar al-Bashir,” Sudan's official SUNA news agency said late Thursday.

A batch of aid, announced in 2019 and valued at $750 million, was deposited into the Sudanese government account, including $500 million as a deposit in the Central Bank, to help solve the wheat, medicine, oil, and some other commodities shortage crisis, according to the Sudanese agency.

The Sudanese agency, however, did not mention any details about when the new grant pledged by Riyadh will arrive.

Sudan faces scarcity of foreign currency and shortages of some basic commodities from time to time.

​​​​​​​* Writing by Mahmoud Barakat in Ankara