Saudi Arabia launches iftar campaigns in Djibouti and Somalia

It is part of a wider Ramadan aid programme that includes 94 countries

People gather for a communal iftar at Al Rajhi Mosque in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Reuters

Saudi Arabia has launched iftar programmes in Djibouti and Somalia by distributing food baskets to families in need.

It is part of the kingdom's wider campaign in more than 94 countries to provide people with meals during Ramadan, state news agency SPA said.

On Saturday, the kingdom sent 2,500 Ramadan food baskets, and 15 tonnes of dates to Indonesia.

Sudan is another beneficiary of the programme, with 15,000 food baskets and 10 tonnes of dates allotted for distribution during the holy month.

In Bangladesh, 129,000 beneficiaries will be receiving the food baskets containing 20 kilograms of assorted grocery.

Two hundred Ramadan food baskets were distributed to families in Pristina, Kosovo, last week.

Saudi Arabia has distributed 200,000 copies of the Quran through religious authorities in Indonesia, and sent 22,000 copies of the holy book to Tunisia for readers at local mosques, SPA said.

Meanwhile, the kingdom is also preparing to receive one million pilgrims for Hajj this year after two years of curtailed participation because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Foreign pilgrims will be allowed for the first time since 2019. About 2.5 million pilgrims performed Hajj that year.