Monday, the Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Mohammad al-Khalaileh said the ministry prepared a plan to be implemented in case the government allows worshippers to perform the Tarawih prayer in mosques during the last ten days of Ramadan.

Khalaileh added that the ministry is cooperating with the local medical authorities and following up on the latest developments of the COVID-19 situation in the Kingdom. He noted that the situation has been improving over the past few days and the number of daily cases has been decreasing, which calls for reconsidering current procedures related to mosques.

He pointed out that general health protocols will be implemented including wearing face masks, social distancing, disinfecting mosques, limiting the time that mosques are allowed to open for the Tarawih prayer and providing additional outdoor spaces for worshippers to perform the Tarawih prayer.

Khalaileh noted that both men and women are allowed to perform the Tarawih prayer at mosques. However, he stressed that children and elderly citizens should not take part in the Tarawih prayer for health and safety purposes.