Saudi Arabia: decades of commitment to the Palestinian cause
At the heart of these efforts is Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, who is engaged in intensive diplomatic tours that reflect Riyadh's determination to transform the Palestinian issue from an entrenched regional conflict into a genuine test of the international system's credibility and its ability to guarantee justice and rights for peoples.
The Saudi initiatives are not circumstantial or the result of a momentary strategy, but rather the continuation of a decades-long trajectory marked by concrete proposals. Among these, the Arab Peace Initiative presented by King Abdullah in 2002 stands out, offering a clear formula: Israeli withdrawal from the territories occupied in 1967 in exchange for full normalization with the Arab world.
Two decades later, Saudi Arabia continues to see this proposal as a valid and realistic framework for reviving the two-state solution.
Saudi Arabia's commitment has not been limited to diplomacy. In the humanitarian and financial spheres, support has been sustained and substantial: more than $5.3 billion has been channeled through 289 projects in recent decades. In 2024 alone, the King Salman Center allocated $40 million to UNRWA in Gaza; the popular “Saham” campaign raised more than 600 million riyals ($160 million) in food, medical, and emergency aid in 2023; while the Saudi Fund for Development has contributed some $800 million to education and health programs in the Palestinian territories since 1994.
These figures are more than just numbers: they represent a state policy that views support for Palestine as an ethical and strategic duty.
However, Riyadh is aware that humanitarian aid is not enough. It has therefore taken the Palestinian issue beyond the Arab or Islamic sphere, placing it at the center of the international agenda: from the United Nations to the G20, including bilateral forums with Europe.
It is no coincidence that Spain, which hosted the historic Madrid Conference in 1991, is once again emerging as a partner willing to support renewed multilateralism for the conflict.
The Saudi vision also connects with European sensibilities, from the migration crisis in the Mediterranean to the situation of refugees, sending an unequivocal message: there can be no stable Middle East while millions of Palestinians continue to live under occupation or in refugee camps.
In this logic, Saudi Arabia combines firm support for Palestinian rights with a pragmatic willingness to engage in dialogue with the United States, the European Union, and other key actors, pressing Israel to recommit to the two-state solution. Far from being contradictory, this position reflects a realistic reading of a complex scenario where maximalist rhetoric has failed and fair negotiation is the only viable path forward.
Ultimately, the Saudi position seeks to reinstate the Palestinian cause as an unavoidable priority on the global agenda. Its diplomatic and humanitarian efforts converge on a clear conviction: no regional peace project will be solid if it is not based on the two-state solution and the recognition of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
Riyadh's message transcends politics and appeals to the international conscience: one of the longest and most bitter conflicts in modern history can only be resolved through justice, mutual recognition, and a firm commitment to peace.
Dr. Hasan Alnajrani. Journalist and academic