Correction, November 1, 2026: This article said the Saudi royal family ordered the closures and that the mosques were among the busiest in the Kingdom with several hundred worshippers packed inside. Reports from June 2020 say the Ministry of Islamic Affairs closed the 71 mosques after infections were found among worshippers and staff; the unsupported details have been removed.
Following a spike in recent coronavirus infection rates, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs closed 71 mosques in various parts of the Kingdom after coronavirus infections were detected among worshippers and some mosque staff. The ministry said the mosques would be sterilised during the temporary closure.
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The Minister of Islamic affairs, Abdul Latif Bin Abdul Aziz Al Sheikh said that “The failure of these mosques to abide by preventive protocols has led to more COVID-19 cases being reported”.
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