Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ahmad Farooq, awarded the ‘Hilal-i-Quaid-i-Azam’ medal to Dr. Mohammed Sulaiman Al-Jasser, the head of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), in Jeddah on Tuesday, according to the Pakistani consulate.
The Hilal-i-Quaid-i-Azam medal is one of Pakistan’s highest awards given to foreign nationals for their outstanding services to the country.
Representatives from Pakistan’s missions in Saudi Arabia and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) attended the award ceremony.
“The President of Pakistan awarded this medal to Dr. Al-Jasser for his key role and leadership in the IsDB Group’s support for Pakistan’s economic and development plans and for backing Pakistan at important global forums,” the Pakistani consulate in Jeddah stated.
The IsDB is an international financial institution that promotes socio-economic development in Muslim member countries. Pakistan is one of its 56 members and has benefited from various IsDB projects.
In March, Pakistan and the IsDB signed a $200 million financing agreement for the Sindh Flood Emergency Housing Reconstruction Project, which aims to build 700,000 houses for about 4.2 million people in rural areas and to create 75,000 water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities for over 1.3 million individuals.
In December 2023, during the COP28 United Nations climate summit in Dubai, the IsDB announced a $100 million loan to help Pakistan eradicate polio.
Following the devastating floods of 2022, which killed 1,700 people and caused $30 billion in damage, the IsDB pledged $4.2 billion to Pakistan over the next three years.
