Saudi Arabia's donation of 15 tons of dates distributed to institutions instead of general public

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has distributed 15 tons of dates, donated by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, to various institutions instead of the general public.

The Saudi Arabian government donated 15 tons of dates to the Ministry of Islamic Affairs during a special ceremony held at the Ministry on February 23, 2026. The donation was officially handed over by the Saudi Ambassador to the Maldives, Yahya bin Hassan Al-Qahtani, and was received on behalf of the Ministry by the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed.

Subsequently, the Ministry announced that on March 15, 2026, the dates gifted by Saudi Arabia were distributed to various institutions.

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs stated that the dates gifted by Saudi Arabia have been distributed to various institutions, colleges, and religious organizations. However, no further details were disclosed, leaving the specific recipients of the donation unidentified.

While the Maldives typically receives dates gifted by the Saudi government ahead of Ramadan each year, concerns have been raised regarding a delay in their arrival. When contacted by RaajjeTV’s "Fashaairu" program on February 19, 2026, an official from the Ministry stated that the annual consignment of dates has not yet been received. The official noted that distribution will commence according to established procedures as soon as the shipment arrives, which is currently expected towards the end of this month.

Three days later, when 15 tonnes of dates were donated to the Ministry, the matter was not disclosed even within the Ministry's official media group. However, it is noted that the Ministry of Islamic Affairs typically shares all information it wishes to publicize through its dedicated WhatsApp group for the media.

While the Ministry of Islamic Affairs did not disclose the reasons for withholding this information, it stated that despite allocating 15 tons of dates to various institutions, an additional 50 tons are expected to arrive in the Maldives for distribution to the general public. The Ministry further noted that once this shipment is received, the dates will be distributed to the islands across the atolls in addition to the Male' City area.

Many citizens are raising questions regarding the unavailability of dates this year.

During last year's Ramadan, the Saudi government donated 50 tons of dates to the Maldives, while the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance provided an additional 10 tons. These dates were distributed to households across the country prior to the beginning of the holy month.