Saudi Arabia announced yesterday, Sunday, the establishment of Tarawih prayers during the month of Ramadan this year at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, with the suspension of collective breakfast and I'tikaaf tables, and strict measures to be taken to confront the Corona pandemic, as part of the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques for the month of Ramadan.
After a 5-month hiatus, the Saudi authorities gradually allowed Umrah to be performed for those inside the Kingdom, starting from last October 4, with health measures to prevent the outbreak of the Corona virus.
The performance of Umrah requires pre-registration through a government electronic application, in addition to other requirements, including proof that the person is not infected with Corona.
The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque said in a statement yesterday, Sunday, that it will replace the group breakfast tables with individual ready-made breakfast meals for those visiting the Grand Mosque, and visitors to the Two Holy Mosques will be allowed to bring in a small number of dates for personal breakfast only, and 200 thousand packages of Zamzam water will be distributed daily, because Continuation of raising the mashrabiyas and containers that were spread in the two mosques
The General Presidency decided to allocate the Mataf courtyard for pilgrims only, and to allocate 5 chapels inside the Grand Mosque in addition to the eastern square.
The General Presidency stated that it washes and sterilizes the entire Grand Mosque about 10 times a day, except for backup washing.
And last year, the month of Ramadan in the Kingdom witnessed the holding of Tarawih prayers on a limited scale in the Two Holy Mosques, reducing them to 5 rak'ahs (10 rak'ahs), while the attendance of worshipers continued to be suspended.
According to astronomical calculations, Ramadan begins on April 13 and ends on May 12.