Tens of thousands of people, mostly expatriates in menial jobs, benefit from the free distribution of meals that commenced Saturday in Iftar tents that have sprung up in cities over the Kingdom with the start of Ramadan. In Riyadh's Al-Wazarat district, a group of philanthropists has arranged free distribution of Iftar meals in an open ground because a tent was insufficient for the large number of people to be served. At shopping centers such as in downtown Batha, as sundown nears, lobbies are instantly turned into dining areas with plates of food and bottles of water and juices served on rows of plastic sheets laid on the floor. At mosques, worshippers are urged to donate for the cause of providing free meals to the poor. “Donors usually supply food items rather than give funds,” said Sami Abdul-Wahed, a member of a volunteer group that organizes free Iftar meals by liaising with philanthropists and donors. He said that during Ramadan, philanthropists and commercial establishments approach volunteer organizations with offers of food, water and juices to be donated to the needy. Some donors provide cooked food such as kabsa (rice with chicken) from hotels, which supply the meal hot, wrapped in aluminum foil. With summer temperatures hovering around 40°C, the volunteers try to ensure that water and juices are served cold, Abdul-Wahed said. Whether served in the tents or distributed as food packets by employers, the free Iftar meals help the poor cut on their regular monthly expenses and save up for the Eid celebrations.
