In a continued gesture of goodwill and religious solidarity, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has donated 15 tonnes of dates to the Maldives as part of its annual Ramadan charitable initiative.
The handover ceremony took place at the Islamic Centre in Male’, where Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the Maldives, Yahya Hassan Algahtani, officially handed over the donation to the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed.
The event marked the beginning of a broader distribution effort, as an additional 50 tonnes of dates—donated by the Saudi government—are currently en route to the island nation. Upon arrival, the dates will be distributed across Male’ and the atolls to support communities during the holy month of Ramadan.
Minister Shaheem expressed deep gratitude to the Saudi government, emphasising that the annual donation underscores the strong and enduring bilateral relationship between the two nations.
Ambassador Algahtani reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to supporting the Maldives, calling the country a valued partner and pledging continued assistance.
This year’s contribution builds on last year’s 60-tonne donation and is further complemented by the launch of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s Iftar programme, which aims to provide iftar meals to over a hundred Maldivians throughout the blessed month.