Coronavirus: Over 90,000 mosques to reopen in Saudi Arabia from Sunday

Visitors walk on the esplanade in front of the Hasan Anani mosque in the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah.

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance in Saudi Arabia and its staff are preparing to begin maintenance, cleaning and sanitisation of over 90,000 major and minor mosques across the Kingdom, which reopen on Sunday except the mosques in the holy city of Makkah, after a closure of more than two months.
The reopening of mosques will be undertaken in accordance with the guidance of Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dr Abdullatif Al Asheikh, and in line with advice issued by the Senior Council of Ulemas.
The ministry has embarked on a vigorous media campaign to urge all worshippers to abide by preventive measures for their own safety to curb the spread of Covid-19.Among the instructions are doing ablution at home, hand-washing and using sanitisers before going out to the mosque and after coming back home.
The elderly and those with chronic diseases are advised to perform their prayers at home. Reading and reciting the Holy Quran online is advised, too, from one's own mobile phone or at least reading from a privately owned copy of the Holy Quran.
Bringing one's prayer mat to perform prayers in mosques is highly recommended as well as keeping a two-metre distance between one another prayer.
Accompanying children under the age of 15 to the mosques is prohibited.
Putting on a face mask and avoiding shaking hands and other contact is also recommended.
Meanwhile, the ministry managed, during the closure of mosques, to undertaking a massive cleaning, sanitising and maintenance drive in all mosques Kingdom-wide, according to world-class standards and best known practices.
This included sanitising over 10 million mosques, 43 million copies of several sizes and volumes of the Quran, more than 600,000 Holy Quran cupboards, in addition to repairing and maintaining about 176,000 water closets, annexed to mosques.

• Saudi Arabia

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