Today at a ceremony held at the Saudi embassy, 50 tonnes of dates have been donated to the Maldives by the Saudi government.
This gift was accepted by the Minister of Islamic Affairs Ahmed Zahir Ali on behalf of the Maldivian government in the presence of Saudi Ambassador to the Maldives Mr. Matrek Abdullah M Aldosari.
An official from the Islamic Ministry stated that a list of all the households have been noted and the dates will be distributed to the locals through the local council. He also mentioned that the dates might not be enough for all the citizens, hence it will be distributed in a first come first serve basis.
The dates are an annual gift by the Saudi government to the Maldives in preparation for Ramadan. They have donated 50 tonnes of dates in the previous Ramadan as well.