DUBAI: The World Health Organization thanked Saudi Arabia's King Salman for donating $500 million to support the international efforts in preventing the coronavirus spread, state news agency SPA reported on Friday.

"I express my great gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and to the Saudi people for their great generosity by donating $500 million, in response to plan to combat the Coronavirus, hoping the rest of the G20 members to follow King Salman step," the World Health Organization’s Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

The Kingdom will allocate $150 million to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovation, $150 million to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations, and $200 million to other international and regional health organizations and programs.

Coronavirus has killed over 150,000 people globally and infected more than 2.2 million individuals in 193 countries and territories.