Saudis raise $77 million

A telethon for tsunami victims on Saudi state-run television has raised more than $77 million, and the Saudi-based Islamic Development Bank pledged an additional $500 million for affected countries.

The telethon followed criticism that Saudi Arabia had not done enough to help in the tsunami relief efforts.

Among those who contributed in the telethon were King Fahd who donated $5 million; Crown Prince Abdullah, $2.5 million; and Prince Sultan, $1.25 million.

The biggest single donation came from Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who gave $17 million.

Earlier this week, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia tripled its initial pledge to the tsunami efforts from $10 million to $30 million, saying it was doing so “in light of the recent assessment of the magnitude of the tragedy.”

The $500 million donation by the Islamic Development Bank matches the largest donation to date from an international financial institution. The World Bank also has pledged $500 million.