By MAUREEN OKON

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Monday pledged its commitment to organise free surgeries for Nigerian citizens under the Nur-Saudi Voluntary Campaign in Nigeria.

Its Ambassador, Mr Faisal Alghamdi, made the commitment at the Kingdom’s 93rd National Day celebration which was held at his residence in Abuja.

He recalled that the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques, King Salman Al Saud (may, Allah protect him), had in 2022 approved the Nur-Saudi Voluntary Campaign in Nigeria.

“The campaign will be excuted through King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) and it will be executed in stages.

“The first stage had been executed which targeted combating blindness and its causes, in addition to a large number of open-heart and urology surgeries.

“In this regard, I would like to congratulate the parents of the Nigerian conjoined twins on the successful separation surgery.

“The surgery done will make it the 56th surgery performed by the Kingdom in separating conjoined twins from across the world,” he said.

Speaking on the bilateral relations between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, the Ambassador said that the historic bonds between both countries had been firmly growing since 1961.

Alghamdi said that the extant relations would continue to grow under the government of President Bola Tinubu.

He said: “I wish him, his government and the people of Nigeria good luck and success.

Furthermore, the mutual visits contribute in developing these bilateral relations at all levels.”

Alghamdi also added that, in 2022, about 200,000 Nigerians visited Saudi Arabia, 95,000 of them pilgrims and more than 90,000 on minor pilgrimage.

In the same period, the Kingdom had given 200 scholarships to Nigerian students both males and females while the trade volume between the Kingdom and Nigeria was more than $600 million.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Kingdom’s national day is celebrated every year on Sept. 23rd, but since the day fell on a Saturday, it was celebrated on Sept. 25.

Furthermore, the anniversary was marked due to the unification of all parts of the Kingdom by King Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The celebration was attended by government officials, heads of diplomatic missions and international organisations, notable businessmen and women, amongst others. (NAN)

•PHOTO: (M) The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Nigeria, Mr. Faisal Alghamdi, (3rdL) Nasir El-Rufai, former Governor of Kadun State, (2ndL) Abubakar Bello-Lolo, the former Governor of Niger and others.

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