His Excellency the Minister of Tourism and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Fund for Development Inaugurates Day Three of the MOMENTUM 2025 Development Finance Conference
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — His Excellency the Minister of Tourism and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Fund for Development, Mr. Ahmed Al Khateeb, inaugurated Day Three of the MOMENTUM 2025 Development Finance Conference, organized by the National Development Fund (NDF) under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Board of NDF. The event, held at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, brought together a distinguished group of decision-makers, experts, and investors from around the world.
Opening the day’s discussions, His Excellency delivered a welcome address in which he reflected on the Kingdom’s central role in advancing the global development transformation in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. He explained that Saudi Arabia continues to play a leading role in promoting comprehensive international development, driven by its belief in the importance of development cooperation to enhance quality of life and support sustainable progress in developing countries.
His Excellency also expressed pride in the Kingdom’s achievements through the Saudi Fund for Development over the past fifty years. During this period, the Fund has provided more than USD 40 billion in development assistance, supporting over 1,200 projects and programs across more than 100 developing countries. This support has had a far-reaching and positive impact on hundreds of millions of individuals and communities.
He noted that international development remains a foundational pillar for building a more stable and prosperous world, as it contributes to social and economic growth and enables countries to address infrastructure and essential services challenges. He added that the demand for development assistance continues to rise as nations seek to accelerate social and economic progress for their people.
In his remarks, His Excellency also referred to global reports and statistics, including those published in the 2025 OECD rankings, which indicate that more than 141 countries have received development assistance to advance projects aimed at strengthening social and economic development. He pointed out that the volume of development assistance provided over the past five years has exceeded USD 1 trillion.
Day Three focused on the role of Saudi Fund for Development and its impact globally and the accelerating development needs across the global. The conference featured more than 35 sessions with over 100 international speakers, alongside an exhibition showcasing more than 20 public- and private-sector entities.
About Momentum
Momentum is the global platform where development finance meets action. Convened by Saudi Arabia’s National Development Fund (NDF) and held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the inaugural edition—Momentum 2025—is hosted in Riyadh. By bringing together ministers, decision makers and top industry leaders from over 120 countries, the platform aligns capital, policy and execution to move feasible projects into funded delivery, prioritizing people and planet, expanding SME opportunity, and championing partnerships and collaboration.