The man, who prefers to remain anonymous, told neighbors in the northwestern city of Hail that this would spare poor people the 'shame' of asking for food, the [Persian] Gulf News newspaper reports.

The story took off after leading Saudi Muslim cleric Sheikh Mohamad al-Arefe tweeted his approval: "I've always said the people of Hail are generous. A man puts a fridge outside his house for leftover food; an indirect act of charity for the needy. Oh how I love you, Hail!" Sheikh al-Arefe has 8.6 million followers on Twitter and his remark was retweeted more than 5,000 times, according to Saudi news site Akhbar 24.

Social media users are calling on mosques and households to put out more fridges, and one person says people should go beyond leftovers and leave freshly-cooked food, adding it was a matter of feeding not only the body but also the soul through a "great act of charity" ahead of the fasting month of Ramadan, which begins at the end of June.

In August 2013, Saudi intellectual Tawfik el-Seif said that more than 10 million of Saudi nationals earn lesser than their basic needs and routine expenditures.

According to the statistics released by the Saudi Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, over three million people are in dire need of government aids because of their poverty, el-Seif said.

Saudi activists have called on Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to increase the incomes of all public employees, pensioners and students, and also stabilize prices of basic goods.

Responding to the government’s claim who called the demand as a seditious move, el-Seif mentioned they resist understanding people’s problems; therefore, they should apologize for the negligence.

NTJ/NJF