Over 90,000 mosques to reopen in Saudi Arabia

Over 90,000 mosques will reopen on Sunday after being sanitised, Saudi Press Agency announced.

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance is all set to reopen more than 90,000 major and minor mosques across the Kingdom, except mosques in Makkah.

The ministry and its staff have already embarked on maintenance, cleaning and sanitisation process of the mosques, which will reopen on the dawn of Sunday, except the mosques in Makkah, after over a two-month closure in the wake of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

The reopening of mosques will be carried out in line with the precautionary instructions and mandatory guidelines issued by the ministry.

Among the instructions are doing ablution at home, proper hand washing and using sanitizers before going out to the mosque and after coming back home. Elders and those with chronic diseases are advised to perform their prayers at home. Reading and reciting the Holy Qur’an online is advised, too, from one's own mobile phone or at least reading from a privately owned copy of Holy Quran.

Bringing one's prayer rug to perform prayers in mosques is highly recommended as well as keeping a two-meter distance between one another prayer, Gulf News reported.

Under 15-year old children are banned from praying at mosques. Wearing facemasks and avoidance of handshaking and scrambling at mosques gates, are also recommendable.