Riyadh
Saudi Arabia announced that the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah will gradually open to the public starting today, Sunday. Mosques across the Kingdom, except for those in Makkah, will open their doors to worshippers on Sunday as part of an ease in the curfew restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The Saudi minister of Islamic affairs has announced the readiness of the Kingdom’s mosques to welcome worshippers after he completed field trips to check on necessary preparations, reports Arab News.
“Throughout our inspection trips, we found our mosques to have completed preparations and are in the best condition,” Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh said. As Saudi Arabia moved closer to Phase 2 of the gradual relaxation of coronavirus lockdown rules, the Ministry of Interior announced precautionary measures and preventive protocols for several sectors to follow. The preventive protocols, prepared by the Ministry of Health, covers the period from 8 Shawwal to 28 Shawwal 1441 in the Hijri calendar, corresponding to May 31 to June 20, 2020 in the Gregorian calendar.
A ministry official said the protocols are provided for mosques; the public; petroleum, petrochemical and gas and other industries; malls and retail centers, home delivery service, among others.
The MOI urged all citizens, expatriates and authorities concerned “to implement these procedures and abide by their provisions in order to preserve the safety of all”.
Also on Saturday, the acting minister of economy and planning, Mohammad bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan, said the gradual lifting of the curfew “represents a new stage in the face of the global pandemic crisis and towards a gradual return to economic activities in the Kingdom to its normal levels.” “The decisions were taken after continuous coordination between the Ministry of Health and the authorities concerned, relying on a focused plan that seeks to balance between procedures for reopening economic activities and maintaining the stability of health and social conditions,” said Jadaan, who is also the Kingdom’s minister of finance.
Al-Jadaan highlighted that the government has increased – during the last period through the state’s general budget – spending on urgent and necessary requirements to face the crisis. It has significantly strengthened the financial allocations for the Health and related services sector.
