For his part, World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim thanked the Saudi government and the minister of finance for supporting the World Bank and success of the strategic partnership with the World Bank. "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia plays a crucial role in regional and global economic development as a major source of energy, overseas development assistance, foreign direct investment and remittances," Kim said. "I came to the Kingdom to thank the senior leadership of their generosity and also to seek ways to strengthening our partnership with them in order to support other countries in transition in the region as well as those impacted by the tragic conflict in Syria," he added. Dr. Kim described the Kingdom as among the big contributors in the bank, highlighting that relations between the Kingdom and the World Bank are strong. --SPA 18:07 LOCAL TIME 15:07 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w