Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Ahmed Zahir has revealed the King Salman Mosque will be open to the public next Friday.
However, Minister Zahir said a specific date has still not been scheduled for the official opening of the mosque. The minister said funds have been allocated in the state budget to cover immediate renovations at the mosque and to purchase furniture and equipment. He said the Government of Saudi Arabia has assured USD2 million will be donated to cover the cost of further works in the mosque.
The King Salman Mosque is a donation by King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud. The mosque is designed to accommodate 4,000 worshippers at once and showcases Islamic culture and heritage. The ground floor of the six-storey mosque is dedicated to ablution and the first and second floors are dedicated to prayer congregations. The third floor includes four classrooms, five seminar rooms, an Islamic library, and an administrative office, while the fourth floor includes an auditorium for seminars and conferences. The fifth floor is being developed as a multi-purpose hall that can be utilised for religious sermons as well as prayers.
The government had initially planned to open the mosque ahead of Ramadan last year. However, the Islamic ministry later revealed the mosque could not be opened at the scheduled date due to complications of the COVID-19 pandemic.