Saudi Gazette report

JAKARTA — The Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance, represented by the Religious Attaché in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, organized on Monday the longest-ever iftar table in the history of Indonesia in Padang, the capital of West Sumatra province.

More than 8,000 Indonesian citizens from all walks of life attended the 1,200-meter-long iftar banquet. This was part of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Iftar Program, which the ministry has been hosting in the cities and provinces of Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country in the world.

West Sumatra Governor Mahyeldi Ansharullah and the Religious Attaché at the Saudi Embassy in Jakarta Ahmed bin Isa Al-Hazmi attended the event in the presence of several political and Islamic figures and heads of universities and Islamic associations in the province.

West Sumatra Governor Mahyeldi Ansharullah said that the Indonesian government will seek to record this table in the Guinness World Records as the longest ever iftar table in the country’s history. The table was arranged in coordination with about 40 restaurants and participation of 400 workers.

The governor thanked Saudi Arabia’s leadership for this great generosity. He pointed out that the programs and initiatives undertaken by the Kingdom and the positive effects that result from them strengthen the bonds of brotherhood between Muslims and other societies.

Mahyeldi also hoped that such good deeds would strengthen the relations between the governments and peoples of the two countries.