Saudi Arabia on Monday agreed to provide a loan of 25 million US dollars to assist an education project in Tianshui City, northwest China's Gansu province.

The loan was offered by the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), a fund chaired by Saudi Arabia's Minister of Finance.

A loan contract was signed in Beijing on Monday between the Chinese Vice Minister of Finance Li Yong and the Director-General of the SFD Yousef I. Al-Bassam.

According to the contract, the SFD will offer the loan at an annual interest rate of 3 percent with a term of 20 years, including a five-year grace period.

The fund will be used to build classrooms, laboratories, libraries, gymnasiums and student apartments for three schools in Tianshui.

China began cooperation with the SFD in 2002. So far, the SFD has provided preferential loans totaling 122 million US dollars for five education projects in China.

(Xinhua News Agency January 8, 2008)