In celebration of the holy month of Ramadan, 50 metric tons of dates donated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Sri Lanka were officially handed over on Monday (16‑02‑2026) at the Saudi Embassy in Colombo. The handover was led by Saudi Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Khalid bin Hamoud Al‑Qahtani.
The donation, provided through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), was received by Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs, Muneer Mulaffer. The event was attended by Deputy Speaker Risvi Salih, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Employment Arun Hemachandra, representatives from KSrelief, the Director of the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs, senior ministry officials, and several religious leaders including representatives of the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama.
Deputy Minister Mulaffer said the donation further strengthens the long-standing friendship between Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka. He expressed appreciation for KSrelief’s support to the Muslim community during Ramadan and said he hopes the cooperation will continue to grow.
The dates are scheduled to be distributed to families in need across the country through Muslim religious institutions. (NewsWire)
