tariff and non-tariff barriers on Saudi exports and particularly, on petrochemical products. In this context, the Kingdom's continued role in giving aid and assistance to the developinq countries cannot be overemphasized. I entertain the hope that, at this imJX>rtant stage, it may serve as an example and provide the industrialized countries the impettB to step up their assistance to the developing nations. In fact, durinq the period from 1975 to 1985, the Kingdom was the largest donee within the developing world in helPing the poor nations, coming second only behind the United States in terns of the total amount of assistance given out. From 1973 to 1981, the Kingdom allocated up to 7. 7 per cent of its gross national product to external assistance, registering the highest ratio ever by a single country and exceeding 20 times the ratio of performance of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD} during the same period. The latter's allocation to aid represented only 0. 33 per cent of its Member States • gross national product. The aggregate assistance given out by the Kingdom from 1973 to 1982, exceeded $42.5 billion, or 56 per cent of the assistance disbursed by all OPEC countries combined. A large portion of these sums was distributed in the form of outright grants; the rest as soft development loans and concessional credit. Outright grants accounted for 74 per cent of total Saudi assistance. Also, dur inq the period 1975 to 1987, an amount close to $48 billion was given out in aid bv the Kingdom, second only to the United States. .--' _,. RH/14 A/S-18/PV. 7 64-65 (Mr. Shihabi, Saudi Arabia) In 1986 alone, 96 per cent of the aid disbursed was in the form of qrants. The number of developinq countries benefitinq from Saudi aid was 70 -38 in Africa, 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing the economic aid provided by Saudi Arabia to developing countries, specifically in the form of grants, soft development loans, and concessional credit. The text highlights the significant amount of aid provided by Saudi Arabia, its ratio of gross national product allocated to external assistance, and the proportion of aid distributed in the form of outright grants.

**Category**
International trade, Humanitarian aid and relief