Saudi Arabia donates 15 tonnes of dates to Maldives under royal gift programme

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance has donated 15 tonnes of dates to the Maldives as part of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Gift of Dates Programme.

The handover ceremony was held on Monday at the Islamic Centre.

Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the Maldives, Yahya Hassan Al‑Qahtani, presented the donation on behalf of the Kingdom. Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed accepted the consignment on behalf of the Maldivian government.

In his remarks, Minister Shaheem expressed gratitude to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and the Saudi government for their continued support to the Maldives.

A special ceremony was held today at the Islamic Centre to officially launch the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Gift of Dates Programme, presented by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Republic of Maldives. pic.twitter.com/eFZjexlz3R

— Ministry of Islamic Affairs (@MVIaffairs) February 23, 2026

He also commended the efforts of Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, Sheikh Dr. Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al‑Sheikh, and highlighted the role of the Saudi Embassy in strengthening bilateral relations.

Saudi Arabia provides dates to the Maldives annually ahead of Ramadan under its longstanding goodwill programme.