A Ramadan gift from Saudi Arabia in the form of 100 tons of dates has been received by the Indonesian government and will be distributed to the people.

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has given 100 tons of dates to Indonesians as a gift, according to the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs here on Tuesday (March 20).

The dates were handed over symbolically by the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Indonesia, Faisal bin Abdullah Al-Amud, to Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas at the latter’s office in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta.

“I represent the people and government of Indonesia to express my gratitude for the gift of these dates. God willing, this will be a blessing for all of us," the minister said.

Yaqut added, as the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs will distribute the gift to the Indonesian people.

"We will work quickly to deliver this mandate to those who are eligible to it, including through mosques and religious organizations," the minister explained.

Earlier, Ambassador Faisal bin Abdullah said that giving Ramadan gifts was a tradition of the Saudi Arabian government every year.

"This is also the directives from the Crown Prince to give gifts to all Muslims in the world, including our brothers and sisters in Indonesia," he added.

Ambassador Faisal also emphasized that giving this gift was a form of good relations and cooperation between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.

Reporting by Bambang Purwanto