RIYADH, April 13: In an unprecedented show of support for the Palestinian resistance movement, intifada, the people of Saudi Arabia have collected nearly Saudi Riyal 350 million ($93.3m) in cash and another about SR100m in kind, until the early hours of morning on Saturday, during a marathon television campaign. The Saudi Committee for the Support of Al Quds Intifada organized the marathon television campaign.

Organisers expect the donations to cross SR1 billion marks by the time this fund raising closes on Saturday night. King Fahd had directed the authorities to extend campaign, which started at 4pm on Thursday, by two days,

The biggest single donation of SR10 million in cash and kind came from Prince Alwaleed ibn Talal. An unnamed donor pledged $11 million.

Prayer leaders throughout the mosques in Saudi Arabia urged the faithful after the Friday prayers to donate as much as they can for the cause of Palestine and its uprising. At most of the mosques considerable donations were also collected after the prayers for the cause. The campaign seems to be continuing.

In the UAE also a similar telethon generated over 130m dirhams ($35m) for the cause of the Palestine. The donations included an offer by a Saudi man and woman to donate their kidneys to the Palestinians who required a transplant. Citizens and residents throughout the Gulf pledged jewellry in considerable quantities, a Rolls Royce, and even slingshots by the Saudi youth to their brethren in Palestine, during similar campaigns.

In Bahrain also the ruler, King Hamad inaugurated a similar telethon on Friday to collect donations for their Palestinian brethren.

In the meantime, processions and meetings continued throughout the Gulf during the weekend. Muslim scholars led some 4,000 faithful who marched after Friday prayers in Al-Darraz village, five kilometer west of Manama, the capital of Bahrain, to protest against Israel and the US.