WFP Executive Director to visit Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The visit will be an opportunity for Ms Sheeran to thank His Royal Highness for the $500m donation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which helped WFP to meet growing needs among the world's hungry caused by high food prices.

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has shown itself to be a true champion for the world's poorest and most vulnerable people," Sheeran said ahead of her visit, adding that the Saudi donation was vital in providing WFP with funds to assist millions of people affected by the impact of high food prices and turmoil on financial markets.

Sheeran's visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will include a series of meetings with ministers and senior government officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Finance. Ms Sheeran will also hold discussions with the President of the Saudi Arabian Red Crescent Society, His Royal Highness, Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz al-Saud.

The $500m donation in May this year, put the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the forefront of the large-scale, high-level, multilateral UN response to the impact of high food and fuel prices that continues to threaten the lives of millions of vulnerable people around the world. High food prices have left in their wake increased levels of hunger and poverty, pushing the number of hungry people around the world to over 920 million.