In a traditional gesture of goodwill, Saudi Arabia has once again gifted 50 tons of dates to the Maldives ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.

The ceremonial handover took place today, with the dates being presented to the Islamic Ministry of Maldives in a special ceremony.

During the event, an agreement for the transfer of dates was signed by Islamic Minister Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, reaffirming the enduring bond between the two nations during this sacred time.

While in previously the gifted dates were distributed to every household, in the recent years there was a shift in distribution strategy.

A portion of the dates were donated to the poor and to registered households, with the remainder allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

However, details regarding the distribution process for this year's dates are yet to be released by the Islamic Ministry.