US envoy for the Horn of Africa visits Riyadh on regional tour

Jeffrey Feltman met Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al Jubeir and Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan

US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, was in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. Courtesy Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al Jubeir and Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held talks with US envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman in Riyadh on Wednesday.

They discussed recent developments in the Horn of Africa region and reviewed the kingdom’s efforts to "lay the foundations for security and stability in Africa, and the continuous support for development and prosperity in the African continent through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre”, an official statement said.

Mr Al Jubeir received Mr Feltman at the foreign ministry's headquarters in Riyadh on Wednesday morning.

The meeting was also attended by the Assistant Minister of State for African Affairs, Sami bin Abdullah Al Saleh.

During a debt relief conference in Paris this month, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman said Saudi Arabia will pledge $1 billion to help African countries recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and combat terrorism this year. The projects will be carried out by the Saudi Fund for Development.

Mr Feltman will also visit Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kenya during his week-long trip.

One focus of the visits will be the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam dispute, the US State Department said.

US-Saudi military exercises