The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has donated 2,500 cartons of date palm fruits to Ghana. The dates will be given to Muslims who are fasting during the Holy Month of Ramadan.
On behalf of the Foreign Affairs Minister, Madam Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Chief Director of the Ministry received the items from the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Ghana, Mr Meshal Hamdan Al-Rogi.
For the past nine years, during the Holy Month of Ramadan, King Salman Bin-Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has donated 50 tons of dates fruits to the Government of Ghana.
In a speech read on her behalf, Madam Ayorkor Botchwey expressed her firm belief that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s donation of dates and other similar gestures will continue to serve as expressions of friendship as the two countries work to improve their bilateral ties. The Minister recalled that Ghana and Saudi Arabia have had bilateral relations since1960. She noted that since then they had witnessed fruitful cooperation and strengthened relations.
“The increasing numbers of Ghanaian Muslims embarking on the annual ritual of the Hajj… bear testimony to our excellent relations.”
Madam Ayorkor Botchwey, Foreign Affairs Minister.
Expression of Gratitude
The Minister expressed gratitude to King Salman on behalf of the Ghanaian government and the people. She said that Ghana had indeed benefited from this symbolic gift of date fruits over the years. She added that dates, as one of the fruits of heaven in Islam, represent vitality and development.
The Minister mentioned that dates, which are high in vitamins, have proven to promote heart, brain, respiratory, and digestive health. All of these facts demonstrate Allah’s infinite wisdom and compassion for humanity, she explained.
According to the Minister, dates have long been recognized as a traditional Ramadan food item, based on the Prophet Mohammed’s religious teachings.
“Indeed, by this act of benevolence to Ghanaians, especially the Muslim community, the gesture ties in well with the third pillar of the Islamic faith, which supports almsgiving, thereby facilitating the thorough observance of the fourth pillar, Ramadan.”
Madam Ayorkor Botchwey, Foreign Affairs Minister.
Additionally, she expressed the Government’s gratitude for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s significant contributions in other critical areas of development. Particularly, donations to the construction of mosques, schools, orphanages, and the provision of safe water in the Islamic communities.
For his part, Mr Al-Rogi reiterated the significance of the donation of the date palm fruits to Ghana. He said the presentation was significant because it commemorates the friendship that exists between the governments of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Ghana. He defined dates as the most important fruit in Saudi Arabia, with deep historical and religious significance. Mr Al-Rogi added that “it is an important diet for the Muslim Community during Ramadan.”
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