SAUDI ARABIA TO ALLOW EID AL ADHA PRAYERS ONLY IN MOSQUES

Tue 14 July 2020:

The mosques will have to ensure that Covid-19 preventive measures are in place, Worshippers will not be allowed to offer Eid prayers at open grounds this year.

Eid al-Adha prayers should only be performed in mosques and not on open grounds in light of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, according to a circular from the Kingdom’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs.

The Kingdom’s Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance Sheikh Abdullatif Al-Sheikh on Monday directed the branches of the ministry in all regions of the Kingdom to approve the holding of Eid prayers only in approved grand and normal mosques that have been approved to host worshippers.

Eid al-Fitr prayers earlier in May were performed at home as mosques and places of worship in Saudi Arabia were closed due to coronavirus. Saudi Arabia reopened mosques on May 31 as restrictions were slowly lifted across the Kingdom.

The decision to reopen mosques comes as part of the Kingdom’s phased plan to ease coronavirus restrictions and eventually return to “normal” conditions.

Since May 31, 90,000 mosques have been disinfected and prepared to welcome back Muslim worshipers.

Fine of SAR10,000

Meanwhile the kingdom’s Interior Ministry has also announced that the entry of people to the holy sites of Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat without permits will be prohibited from July 18 until the 12th of Dhu Al Hijjah (expected to fall on August 2).

A fine of SAR10,000 shall be imposed on violators, and doubled if repeated, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted a source at the ministry as saying.

The source called on all citizens and residents to abide by the instructions regarding Hajj season this year, stressing that security officials will monitor all roads leading to the holy sites to prevent entry without a permit.

Last month, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced that it had decided to go ahead with Hajj, but would allow only a limited number of pilgrims who were already inside the country to attend due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Around 2.5 million pilgrims had performed Hajj last year.

The Eid al-Adha holiday is expected to begin on Friday, July 31, a member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences announced earlier last month.

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