The Kingdom's oil wealth and its own ambitious development programs have received wide international publicity. Perhaps less widely recognized is its commitment to helping those materially less fortunate in the developing world.
Throughout its own development, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been mindful of its responsibilities in the community of nations, especially in the Arab world and amongst the less developed countries. Blessed with its vast reserves of oil and minerals, Saudi Arabia has willingly accepted the Muslim obligation to share its wealth with those less favored. Although a relatively young country, Saudi Arabia has quickly understood the reality of interdependence which exists between one nation and another. The Kingdom is, of course, particularly involved with the industrialized nations of the West, supplying much of these countries' energy requirements and importing much of the West's technology. But there is also an interdependence, both moral and economic, between rich nations and poor.
