RAMADAN AFOOT IN SAUDI ARABIA

Arrangements afoot in Riyadh for Ramadan

RIYADH/JEDDAH: While Riyadh streets are being illuminated to give a festive atmosphere to welcome the advent of the holy month of Ramadan, extensive arrangements are being made in all the mosques to accommodate the additional number of worshippers throughout the month.

Sequel to a directive issued by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance, mosques this year will be open for worshippers 24 hours a day.

According to the circular, imams of all the mosques in the Kingdom have been instructed to keep the places of worship tidy and to ensure adequate and uninterrupted supplies of power and water during the holy month to meet the requirements of the increased number of Muslims who go for Taraweeh, which follows the regular Isha prayers.

Midnight prayers (Qiyamul Lail) will be conducted from 1 a.m. from the 20th of Ramadan till the end of the holy month. Private establishments that have been contracted for mosque maintenance works have been asked to be on duty at nights during the holy month to guarantee continuous water and power supply in all the worshipping places.

Improvised partitions for ladies are being built in mosques that do not have separate prayer halls for women. Some of the mosques are busy replacing their old carpets with new ones and others are being color-washed to give them a fresh look during the holy month.

Yesterday, the Friday noon prayers focused on the significance of the holy month. Welcoming the advent of the holy month, imams appealed to the people to strictly adhere to the teachings of the Qur'an and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) during this period.


Speaking to Arab News after the Friday prayers yesterday, Abdul Aziz, imam at a mosque in Riyadh's Sarafiya District said: "We expect larger congregations at Taraweeh prayers this year." He added that the holy month not only affords a good opportunity to Muslims to greet one another but also helps us perform good deeds that will be richly rewarded by the Almighty Allah.

Meanwhile, Deputy Labor Minister Abdul Wahid Al-Humaidi has said that public and private-sector employees are to have their hours reduced for Ramadan to six hours per day — and that any extra hours worked must be voluntary on the part of the employee and that employers must pay overtime for these voluntary extra hours worked.

Abdullah Marie ibn Mahfouz, member of the board of directors of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry said most employers shave off the work shifts by changing starting times from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. He also said employers are allowed to break up the six hours into two shifts, and make workers stay late in the evening if needed.


— Mohammed Rasooldeen in Riyadh and Galal Fakkar in Jeddah contributed to this report.


Arab News