RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman delivered a speech Sunday to mark the start of the holy month of Ramadan to Saudi citizens and Muslims all over the world.

“The Kingdom, since its establishment at the hands of King Abdul Aziz, has taken upon itself the service of Islam and Islamic issues, and all that contributes to spreading the Islamic religion away from everything that distorts its true image,” the king said

King Salman added that Saudi Arabia has been and continues to call for preserving the image of Islam as the religion of tolerance, moderation and compromise.

“After the world was afflicted by the ravages of extremism and terrorism, the Kingdom turned to them with all its might and determination, calling for dialogue and a move away from violence and the uprooting of terrorism,” he said.

Also on Sunday, King Salman received best wishes for Ramadan from Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, president of the UAE, and the leaders of other countries in the Muslim world.

Worldwide, more than a billion Muslims will spend the month in reflection and celebration of their faith as they fast from sunrise to sunset.

In Indonesia, hundreds of schoolchildren wearing traditional dress chanted prayers as they held a torchlit procession to mark the start of the holy month.