The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has decided to stop cooperation with the Saudi-based Misk Foundation, which is headed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, following the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
"The current situation has been a factor behind our decision to refrain from future tours," the Wall Street Journal quoted a spokeswoman for the charity, created by US billionaire Bill Gates and his wife Melinda, as saying. In reference to rounds to fund joint programs with the Foundation "Mesk".
"The abduction and killing of Jamal Khashoggi is very worrying," the spokeswoman said. "We are watching with concern the current events."
The Gates and Musk Foundation last year launched a $ 10 million initiative to provide grants to young people around the world for health and development initiatives, the Wall Street Journal said.
She noted that Bill Gates attended an MESC forum in Riyadh last year and met the Saudi Crown Prince to discuss joint projects.
Both institutions were supposed to fund the initiative with $ 5 million. The Foundation has completed a first round of $ 1.5 million in funding and will meet its obligations to existing beneficiaries, but will not make further funding rounds, the Gates Foundation spokeswoman said.
"We hope to cooperate with them (the Gates Foundation) again in the future," the Wall Street Journal quoted a Misk spokesman as saying.