Saudi Arabia: $1bn to Lebanon

Riyadh has given $1bn to the Lebanese armed forces, to help them fight Islamist militants launching attacks from Syria. News of the donation was delivered by former Lebanese prime minister Saad Al-Hariri, who is close to the Saudi leadership, at a news conference at King Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz’s palace in Jeddah on 6 August. Hariri said King Abdullah had told him he had issued the order to give the money, at a time when Lebanese security forces were engaged in a battle with Sunni Islamists for the town of Arsal.