Today, His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik issued Royal Decree No. 2/2024, establishing the National Fund for Emergencies (NFE). According to Article (1), the NFE, an independent fund located in the Ministry of Finance, aims to address emergencies and natural disasters such as climatic conditions, floods, earthquakes, and other risks impacting the country or causing damage to public utilities and infrastructure.

The NFE will be tasked with:

Supporting the implementation of the general policy related to procedures necessary for tackling emergencies.
Providing essential funding to restore normalcy to public life after emergencies.
Article (2) outlines the resources of the NFE, including allocations in the State’s General Budget, donations, investment revenues, and other resources approved by the Council of Ministers.

Article (3) grants the Minister of Finance the authority to regulate and manage the NFE, including devising policies, managing funds, forming committees, endorsing investment plans, and overseeing financial reports.

Article (4) specifies that the NFE shall have an independent annual budget, and its surplus will not be transferred to the State’s General Budget.

Article (5) declares the NFE's funds as public funds subject to relevant legal provisions, and Article (6) exempts emergency-related decisions and contracts from certain legal provisions.

Article (7) prohibits spending NFE funds for purposes other than those for which the fund was established, and Article (8) nullifies any conflicting provisions.

Finally, Article (9) mandates the publication of the decree in the Official Gazette and its enforcement from the day following its publishing date.