New standards, code to be set for upkeep of mosques in KSA

RIYADH: President of Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage Prince Sultan bin Salman has said that he is looking forward to launching awareness campaigns regarding proper care for mosques across the Kingdom in the near future, in collaboration with the Masjidona Charity. The issue and its proposed responses was first proposed by Prince Sultan to the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, and is expected to be announced very soon. To this end, Prince Sultan bin Salman praised the efforts of the “Masjidona Mosque Charity” during a reception held at the headquarters of the commission, which was attended by members of the archaeology sector at the King Abdulaziz Historical Center, the chairman of the Board of Directors of Masjidona and other prominent figures, and in the presence of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs for Technical Affairs Abdulaziz Al-Abdulkarim. Prince Sultan was briefed on the charity, its goals and projects during the reception. “We, the citizens of the Kingdom, are charged with the responsibility to care for our mosques everywhere, especially the ones located on the roads. Our interaction and participation with Masajidona is an honored duty through which we seek to serve the houses of God,” said Prince Sultan bin Salman. He continued: “The commission has been working with the ministry for ten years on a project to develop the road stations, mosques and prayer sites, stemming out of the national strategy for the development of tourism.” Importantly, the undersecretary of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs said that part of the project will involve the ministry shutting down any station found lagging in hygiene issues. The chairman of Board of Directors of Masjidona said that the most important problem facing the charity now is financial support, especially during the foundation phase at the current time. He said that the charity will focus on building an institutionalized system based on standardised specifications, and will use modern technology to monitor visitor satisfaction in mosques. -arabnews