UNITED NATIONS - Saudi Arabia on Wednesday gave $100 million to the United Nations to support counter-terrorism efforts and called on other countries to do the same.

The donation follows a $500 million Saudi gift to the UN effort to help Iraqi refugees fleeing a jihadist advance.

"We have been stung by the evil of terrorism," Saudi Ambassador to the United States Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir told reporters.

"We believe that those countries that have not been stung by terrorism seem to be lax in dealing with terrorism in a serious way," he told reporters after presenting a cheque to UN chief Ban Ki-moon.

The funds will go to the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre, set up in 2011 to tackle new security threats from terrorism.

The United States, Germany and Britain have also donated to help run the UN centre.