Saudi Arabia pledges full support to help combat coronavirus in China

Saudi Arabia pledged its full support to help combat the deadly coronavirus in China, which has killed more than 1,500 people in Chinese cities, the Kingdom’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday.

More than 66,000 people have been infected in China after the virus emerged in the Hubei capital Wuhan in December and spread nationwide a month later, according to official data.

Under the directive of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabia and China signed six joint contracts to provide medical assistance, which include: providing 300,000 protective masks, 1,159 medical devices, and 1,000 isolation suits.

The Kingdom will also provide China with high-technology medical equipment, such as ultrasound machines, non-invasive ventilators, and defibrillators, according to the ministry.

Saudi Arabia evacuated ten citizens from China’s coronavirus epicenter Wuhan earlier this month, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Twitter.

“Under the guidance of the wise leadership, 10 Saudi students from Wuhan, China, have been evacuated and have arrived in the Kingdom in good health,” said Prince Faisal in a tweet.

There have been no recorded cases of the deadly coronavirus in Saudi Arabia.