There is something called tradition. It is indeed difficult to break old traditions that have come down for decades. One such tradition that leads to immense wastage of food in Saudi Arabia is honouring an elderly relative or important guest visiting one's home. Tradition requires a sheep be slaughtered and the meat used to prepare the favourite Saudi dish "Khabsa." When the guest departs, so much of leftover food is simply put into the drums. Many Saudis have begun to dislike the custom because of both the cost involved and the resultant wastage of food. But they just cannot get out of this tradition. If the tradition is not carried out the guest feels "insulted."
The call from the Sheikh has come after he must have witnessed the way food got wasted in the Saudi society, and the pain he must have felt on seeing this.
There is something called tradition. It is indeed difficult to break old traditions that have come down for decades. One such tradition that leads to immense wastage of food in Saudi Arabia is honouring an elderly relative or important guest visiting one's home. Tradition requires a sheep be slaughtered and the meat used to prepare the favourite Saudi dish "Khabsa." When the guest departs, so much of leftover food is simply put into the drums. Many Saudis have begun to dislike the custom because of both the cost involved and the resultant wastage of food. But they just cannot get out of this tradition. If the tradition is not carried out the guest feels "insulted."
The call from the Sheikh has come after he must have witnessed the way food got wasted in the Saudi society, and the pain he must have felt on seeing this.