Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz directed the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) to urgently provide Malaysia with aid to help in the country’s fight against COVID-19, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Sunday.

The announcement came following a request for assistance by the Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hishammuddin Hussein, during a phone call with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, SPA said.

In a statement, Adviser at the Royal Court and Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Rabeeah, said that the aid would include one million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, medical devices, care and treatment devices, preventive supplies, and other medical needs.

The Kingdom has been providing support to countries around the world that have been hit hard by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this month, two Saudi aircrafts containing vital COVID-19 medical supplies arrived in Tunisia.

Earlier this month, al-Rabeeah said that Saudi Arabia is “uniquely equipped and ready” to become the regional hub for the production of coronavirus vaccines.

“Saudi Arabia strongly encourages regionalization of pertinent industries – particularly in the Middle East, Africa and Asia,” SPA quoted al-Rabeeah as saying.

Regional production of vaccines and medical supplies would boost supplies and create job opportunities, according to the supervisor general. It would also increase healthcare systems’ ability to control distribution and delivery, he added.

So far, Saudi Arabia has invested over $700 million to support the global fight against the coronavirus, including donations to Gavi, the COVAX Facility, and CEPI, al-Rabeeah said.

The Kingdom has also provided support for refugee communities worldwide, including extensive pandemic assistance to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Jordan, and a number of other refugee groups with concentrations in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.