Saudi envoy announces development support to Mindanao

COTABATO CITY, Philippines - Saudi Arabia’s envoy to the Philippines on Thursday visited the seat here of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and discussed with regional officials vital issues, including socio-economic concerns.

Ambassador Abdullah bin Nasser Al-Bussairy and his party were received with utmost cordiality by ARMM officials led by the region’s second highest elected official, Regional Vice Governor Haroun Al-Rashid Lucman and lawyer Rasol Mitmug Jr. of the Office of the Regional Governor.

Saudi Arabia is a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a bloc of more than 50 Muslim states, including petroleum-exporting states in the Middle East and North Africa.

The OIC is helping push President Benigno Aquino III’s Southern Mindanao peace efforts forward.

Lucman said Al-Bussairy had expressed his government’s readiness to provide development assistance to the autonomous region.

More than 80 percent of residents in the ARMM’s geographically scattered provinces, Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, which are both in mainland Mindanao, and the islands of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, are Muslims.

The Saudi government had previously bankrolled some infrastructure projects in the autonomous region through its Saudi Fund, which also sustains various humanitarian projects in fledging communities around the globe.

ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman said Thursday’s visit of the Saudi envoy to the regional capitol was enough “vote of confidence” to his administration.

“We in the ARMM are grateful to the Saudi government,” Hataman said.