Jeddah: In a major decision related to The Two Mosques in Makkah and Madinah, Saudi Arabia has constituted an independent body to look after the management of Masjid Haram and The Prophet’s Mosque, Masjid an Nabawi.
The independent body named as “Presidency of Religious Affairs at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque” will be headed by Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais – Chief Imam of Masjid al Haram Makkah.
Sheikh Sudais also headed the previous body, the General Presidency of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque, which will now be replaced by the new and independent body named as Presidency of Religious Affairs at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque.
The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques established by a royal decree in 1966 by King Faisal oversaw the management of the entire Two Holy Mosques including its construction, maintenance of the Mosque and the Ka’bah, Library, the production of Kiswah.
The Cabinet decided that the "General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque" would undertake the tasks entrusted to the erstwhile General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque until the completion of the enforcement of the decision.
“The two bodies shall carry out their specialties, tasks and work in accordance with their organizational arrangements referred to in clause fourth of the decision”, the Cabinet decided.
The decision to form a new independent body to look after all the affairs of the Two Holy Mosques and appointment of Sheikh Sudais as its Head were taken at a cabinet meeting held Tuesday. The cabinet meeting held at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah was chaired by King Salman bin Abdel Aziz.
The King also appointed Dr Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, Minister of Hajj and Umrah, to the Board of Directors of the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque.
The Cabinet took this decision after reviewing an earlier directive from the King to the Council of Ministers to carry out studies about establishing such an independent Presidency of Religious Affairs and transforming the Haram presidency into a general authority, according to the government owned Saudi Press Agency.
The Cabinet decided that all the specializations, tasks, and work of supervising the affairs of imams and muezzins at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, and everything related to their religious affairs, including religious circles and classes within the jurisdiction of the presidency shall be transferred to the new authority.
The new General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque after transformation of the Presidency will enjoy financial and administrative independence, and will be organizationally linked to the King and undertakes specializations, tasks, services, operations, maintenance and development related to the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, the news agency said.
The King’s decision to divide the organization and affairs of the Two Holy Mosques is to improve efficiency and lower pressure on the centeralized structure of the now dissolved previous presidency, Sheikh Sudais will now be focussing entirely on religious aspects of the Two Holy Mosque reliving him of the management of the Two Holy Mosques. Wheras Dr Tawfiq Rabiah has been heavily tasked now to see the affairs of the Two Holy Mosques in addition to his role as Minister of Hajj and Umrah, local media reports said.
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