As part of its ongoing efforts to serve and care for the houses of God, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance announced record numbers in supervisory and field work during the holy month of Ramadan, as the Ministry, through its branches in various regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, carried out (176,971) field supervisory tours of mosques and prayer halls during the first half of the holy month.
An integrated monitoring system to serve worshippers
These intensive inspection tours stem from the Ministry's mission to create a conducive spiritual atmosphere for worshippers and ensure mosques are ready to accommodate the increasing number of worshippers during Ramadan. These tours covered more than 84,000 mosques and prayer halls across all cities and governorates of the Kingdom. To successfully undertake this massive task, the Ministry deployed a supervisory team of over 7,000 inspectors, both men and women, working according to well-defined field plans to ensure the provision of all necessary services.
Control mechanisms: From maintenance to legal compliance
The field visits focused on several key areas to ensure the quality of services provided, where the following were identified:
- Technical and operational services: Ensuring the safety of lighting and air conditioning systems, carpet cleanliness, and the readiness of restrooms, in addition to inspecting sound systems and external speakers to ensure sound purity and lack of distortion, and following up on the work of contracted maintenance and cleaning companies.
- Adherence to regulatory controls: Monitoring the extent to which imams and muezzins comply with the ministry’s instructions, including strict adherence to the “Umm al-Qura” calendar in raising the call to prayer and performing prayers, especially the Isha and Taraweeh prayers.
- Organizing Iftar tables: Supervising Iftar projects for fasting people in mosques and their affiliated facilities, to ensure their compliance with approved health and regulatory controls.
Preventing violations and promoting reverence
In order to preserve the spirituality of the holy month and the privacy of worshippers, the inspection tours emphasized preventing any practices that might disrupt devotion, such as filming prayers or broadcasting them on social media platforms. This reflects the Ministry's commitment to ensuring that mosques remain places of pure worship and tranquility. The tours also included verifying the continuation of religious programs and awareness lectures that educate worshippers on the rulings of fasting and prayer.
Positive results and high performance indicators
Reports issued by the Ministry showed a high level of discipline and compliance with instructions in the majority of mosques across the Kingdom, reflecting the strong awareness among mosque staff, including imams, muezzins, and caretakers. Observations are monitored and addressed immediately through a sophisticated electronic system dedicated by the Ministry for field monitoring, thus expediting responses and ensuring the continued quality of services.
These tireless efforts reflect the great attention that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia pays to the care of mosques, and harnessing all human and technical capabilities to ensure the comfort of the guests of God and the maintenance of the houses of God, in line with the Kingdom’s vision objectives to improve the quality of life and enhance the services provided in all sectors.
