Saudi king to give dates to poor citizens

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, July 24 (UPI) -- Saudi Arabia's King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Saturday ordered the government to purchase 21,000 tons of dates to give to its poorer citizens.

Agriculture Minister Fahd Belghuneim said the monarch instructed the government purchase the dates, estimated at a cost of $20 million (75 million riyals) from local farmers to distribute to poor people in the kingdom and abroad.

The minister said most dates will be distributed to Saudis, with the remainder given to the U.N. World Food Program.