(WASHINGTON, DC) – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will donate $20 million to the UNESCO Emergency Fund. This announcement was made on Tuesday by the ambassador of Saudi Arabia to UNESCO, Ziad Aldrees.

“This contribution is not the first and would not be the last from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” stated Ambassador Aldrees. “I want to assure you that in the name of Prince Faisal bin Abdullah Al Saud, Head of the Saudi National Commission to UNESCO ... that this contribution is to support our Organization [UNESCO] and its programs.”

According to UNESCO, this donation brings total Fund contributions from member states to $58.5 million. The director-general of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, launched the Emergency Fund in Nov. 2011. The Fund was created following the immediate shortfall of U.S. dues after the admission of Palestine to UNESCO on October 31, 2011.