Saudi Arabia said early on Friday that it has contributed $100 million to northeast Syria for “stabilization projects” in areas once held by the Islamic State group and now controlled by U.S.-backed forces. The Saudi Embassy in Washington said the money “will save lives, help facilitate the return of displaced Syrians and help ensure that ISIS cannot reemerge to threaten Syria, its neighbors, or plan attacks against the international community.” The money will go toward agriculture, education, roadworks, rubble removal and water service for the region, which is now largely held by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. “This substantial contribution will play a critical role in the coalition’s efforts to revitalize communities, such as Raqqa, that have been devastated by ISIS terrorists,” the embassy said in a statement. The Syrian city of Raqqa was the seat of the ISIS terror group’s self-proclaimed “caliphate” until it was liberated by the US-backed forces last year. The Saudi Embassy described the $100 million as the largest Coalition contribution to date for these liberated areas, as part of the pledge made by Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir during the July 12, 2018 Global Coalition Ministerial Conference in Brussels, hosted by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. In this context, the United States of America has commended the Kingdoms generous contribution, saying that they appreciate the fulfillment of this commitment. The US Department of State spokeswoman said, in a statement, that this important contribution is seen as critical in the efforts to achieve re-stabilization in these areas and it comes at an important time of the international campaign as the regional control of ISIS has declined to the last of 400 square miles, and some 150,000 displaced people have returned to the city of Raqqa, adding that thanks to the global coalition, the partners on the ground are restoring key services to the population of northeastern Syria. The statement pointed out that a number of coalition partners have made pledges and contributions in recent months and the US appreciates all partners who supported this important effort, indicating that Saudi Arabia has been a leading partner in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS from the outset. The US Department of State said that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a founding partner of the coalition and it hosted the meeting that helped in setting it up in 2014, pointing out that the KSA has contributed since then in many ways, including air raids in Syria, and participated in leading of the Counter-Terrorism Action Group (CTAG) , establishing the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology (Etidal), receiving more than 2 million Syrian refugees and providing more than $1 billion in humanitarian aid since the beginning of the Syrian conflict. The US Department of States statement greeted the Saudi leadership shown by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Global Coalition, calling on all members of the Coalition, regional partners and allies to do their share in this effort, which would help in bringing greater stability and security to the region.