Khartoum: Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ambassador Mohi El-Din Salem met on Friday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with Engineer Essam Mohamed Ahmed El-Sayed, Secretary of Foreign Awqaf. The meeting discussed the status and projects of Sudanese endowments in Saudi Arabia, the progress achieved during the previous period, and the plans and programmes targeted for the next phase.
According to Sudan News Agency, the Minister received a comprehensive briefing from the Secretary of Foreign Awqaf on the Sudanese endowments' portfolio in the Kingdom and on the efforts made in recent years to identify, monitor, and safeguard endowment assets, as well as to develop them and maximise their returns in a manner that fulfils their religious, economic, and social objectives.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation underscored the importance of Sudan's overseas endowments as valuable national assets requiring protection, sound management, and development. He stressed the importance of coordination among the relevant authorities and of overcoming obstacles facing endowment work to ensure the greatest possible benefit from these assets.
He commended the efforts made regarding Sudanese endowments in Saudi Arabia and emphasised the need, during the next phase, to move towards broader horizons of planning, development, and institutional investment, in a way that strengthens the role of endowments in serving Sudan and its interests and supporting projects with sustainable impact.
For his part, Engineer Essam Mohamed Ahmed El-Sayed said that the next phase would witness continued efforts to identify and classify endowments and follow up on the receipt of compensation for demolished endowment properties and their conversion into real estate assets, with a view to implementing the conditions stipulated by the endowers efficiently and effectively.
He noted that work was underway to develop Sudanese endowments, maximise their resources, and protect their assets through carefully prepared plans and a vision aimed at achieving the best possible returns while safeguarding endowment rights for future generations.
The Secretary of Foreign Awqaf also thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia-its King, Crown Prince, government, and people-for facilitating the process of receiving compensation for Sudanese endowments in the Kingdom.
The meeting comes within the framework of efforts to follow up on Sudan's assets and properties abroad and strengthen coordination among state institutions, contributing to the protection of national assets and their more effective utilisation.