Authorities in Saudi Arabia have announced a series of measures to ensure safety and security in the kingdom's mosques during Ramadan, expected to begin on March 11.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs revealed iftar banquets will not be held inside mosques this year to help keep places of worship clean. Designated sites will instead be set up outside mosques, with imams being responsible for ensuring those areas are cleaned up soon after people have eaten.
There is an exception, however, as officials said iftar will continue to be served in the holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah.
The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque have launched an e-portal to submit permits for providing iftar banquets within the buildings.
Technology and transport upgrades
The range of the Grand Mosque’s 5G network has been extended to cover the Well of Zamzam and the basement of the King Fahd expansion. The upgraded network is expected to boost the quality of transmitting religious lessons, which are broadcast live on the Manarat Al Haramain digital platform.
Ten wheelchair stations will be available inside the Grand Mosque during Ramadan this year, with assistance provided round the clock. Free wheelchair services are provided for the elderly and people with disabilities inside the circumambulation (Tawaf) area.
More than 13,500 cleaning staff about 700 pest control specialists will be on hand to maximise hygiene throughout the site in Makkah.
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Worshippers around the Kaaba during Ramadan as captured from the Clock Towers complex in Makkah. All photos: AFP -
The Grand Mosque in Makkah as seen from the Clock Towers complex -
A view of the city of Makkah -
Muslim worshippers perform sunset prayers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah as they mark the end of the first day of Ramadan. -
Muslim worshippers sit at the Grand Mosque in Makkah on the first day of the holy month -
Muslims wait to pray as cleaning staff disinfect the grounds at the Grand Mosque in Makkah -
A child is carried on the shoulders of a worshipper at the Grand Mosque in Makkah on the first day of Ramadan -
Muslim worshippers gather before the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in Makkah -
Worshippers read the Quran at the Grand Mosque in Makkah -
Ramadan began on Thursday in Saudi Arabia -
A man carries a child at the Grand Mosque in Makkah -
Observing Ramadan is one of the five holy pillars of Islam and is mandatory for all Muslims in good health -
This year, much of the region will be fasting for about 14 hours a day -
A man reads the Quran at the Grand Mosque in Makkah -
Muslim pilgrims performing Umrah walk between the Marwa and Safa hills in Makkah on the first day of Ramadan -
A Muslim worshipper reads the Quran on the first day of the holy month
In Madinah, the General Authority has replaced the carpets in the Prophet's Mosque.
A fleet of 200 modern buses will transport pilgrims to and from the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah throughout Ramadan.
The Madinah Region Development Authority says this will cut traffic congestion and harmful emissions, while creating pedestrian-friendly areas around the mosque.
