NEW YORK / 1 October 2019 – The Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) has concluded its participation in the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Among its activities in New York, the SDRPY delegation organized an exhibition at UN headquarters, familiarized UNGA attendees with the Kingdom's development initiatives in Yemen, and attended workshops on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Members of the SDRPY mission also participated in the UN-organized seminar, “How to communicate the sustainable development goals in alternative ways.”

SDRPY welcomed hundreds of visitors to its pavilion at the UNGA, including members of diplomatic and government delegations from around the world. Program staff explained the program’s development and reconstruction projects, and demonstrated SDRPY’s positive impact on Yemen’s provinces to officials from over 190 countries. In particular, the program’s exhibition received visits from several Arab and other foreign ministers, UN officials, and those interested in development. SDRPY’s representatives greeted numerous international media outlets covering the week-long exhibition as well. 

SDRPY’s presentation on the Kingdom's development projects in Yemen – which employed virtual reality (VR) and other audiovisual tools – received widespread commendation from UNGA visitors, along with universal acknowledgment of the crucial nature of SDRPY’s seven sectors of operation: health, education, energy, agriculture and fisheries, water, transportation, and government building construction and rehabilitation. Notably, UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba praised the Kingdom’s development efforts in Yemen during her visit to the SDRPY marquee. SDRPY projects have both helped to improve Yemenis’ day-to-day lives and prevent the deterioration of the Yemeni economy.

The prominent presence of Saudi women was a remarkable feature of the SDRPY exhibition, and both the women and men of the SDRPY mission were pleased to offer introductory explanations of the program in both Arabic and English for the duration of the mission. They distributed over 4,000 items of printed matter, including illustrated booklets, newsletters, and illustrated guides of the program’s wide-ranging operations throughout the week.