The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) officially inaugurated the King Abdullah Campus of Azad Jammu and Kashmir University (UAJK) in Pakistan, stated a press release issued on Saturday. The King Abdullah campus was funded through a generous $90 million grant provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through SFD.
The project was inaugurated by SFD’s Director General of Asia Operations, Dr Saud bin Ayed Al-Shammari, in the presence of the President of the State of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, H.E. Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry. Chairman of the Higher Education Commission, Professor Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Professor Dr Muhammad Kaleem Abbasi, alongside other officials from both sides attended the inauguration ceremony.
“The King Abdullah Campus is a cutting-edge facility that hosts 15 academic departments, as well as administration blocks, accommodation, a library, a mosque, a state-of-the-art auditorium, and other essential amenities,” stated the press release.
“Over 10,000 students, faculty members, and employees are expected to benefit from the new campus, which will offer cutting-edge research and educational opportunities, while helping to support the sustainable socio-economic development of Pakistan. The new campus will also contribute towards helping to realize the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG4, Quality Education, SDG5, Gender Equality, SDG8 Decent work and Economic growth, and SDG11, Sustainable Cities and Local Communities.
SFD Director General of Asia Operations Dr Saud bin Ayed Al-Shammari said: “SFD’s contributions towards the reconstruction of the King Abdullah Campus, following the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, came from the Fund’s commitment to supporting Pakistan’s sustainable development through the development of social infrastructure. This project is a result of the close developmental relations, and successful longstanding partnership, which has existed between SFD and Pakistan for more than 47 years.”
About SFD
Since 1976, SFD has financed 16 projects in Pakistan, providing 18 soft loans estimated at more than $1.1 billion. These projects have been launched and implemented to support a range of sectors, including water, health, energy, transportation, social infrastructure and other sectors. Additionally, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also provided a grant— estimated at over $500 million — to implement 23 development projects to help Pakistan overcome the damages caused by the 2005 earthquake. Other financial support from SFD has included a deposit supporting the country’s budget, amounting to $3 billion, alongside financing export credit and insurance, and the import of crude petroleum derivatives, amounting to $5.44 billion.