JEDDAH: Iftar meals are offered in Makkah’s Grand Mosque and its plazas to bring together fasting people of different nationalities and races.
Volunteers prepare the meals daily, and distribute food and coffee to the mosque’s visitors. The meals are arranged in a linear manner so as not to hinder people’s movement in the mosque.
The meals are organized an hour before the Maghrib prayer, and are distributed half an hour before it is time to break the fast.
They differ depending on the institutions and associations carrying out the initiative, which is supervised by the General Presidency of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque.
Meals distributed in the Grand Mosque consist of dates and water, while those distributed outside consist of wrapped meals, water, juices and dates.
Fifty-seven bodies and charities take part in the daily iftar at the mosque. The General Presidency of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque has issued more than 1,195 permits for the distribution of quality iftar meals.
Mohammed Al-Yafei, a Yemeni performing the Umrah pilgrimage in Makkah, expressed his delight at visiting the Grand Mosque during Ramadan.
“I’m amazed by the expansion of the mosque and the great efforts made, for which we’re thankful,” he said.
Mohammed Khan from Pakistan said the services offered around the mosque have delighted every visitor.
Mohammed Kamel from Egypt said the Ramadan atmosphere in Makkah gave him an indescribable feeling.
Iftar at Saudi Arabia's Grand Mosque: A cultural gathering
Iftar at Saudi Arabia's Grand Mosque: A cultural gathering
Saudi Arabia condemns remarks by US ambassador to Israel on Middle East, calls for clarification
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned remarks made by the US ambassador to Israel suggesting that Israeli control over the entire Middle East would be acceptable, describing the comments as reckless and a violation of international law.
US envoy to Israel Mike Huckabee said it would be acceptable if Israel took control of the entire Middle East, including the West Bank, on Saturday.
Huckabee suggested that he would not object if Israel were to take most of the Middle East.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “categorically denounced” the comments, rejecting what it described as irresponsible statements that contravene international law, the United Nations Charter and established diplomatic norms.
The ministry said the remarks represented a dangerous precedent, particularly as they came from a US official, and amounted to a disregard for relations between the US and countries across the region.
It warned that such positions carry grave consequences and threaten global peace and security by inciting hostility toward the peoples and states of the Middle East, while undermining the foundations of the international order based on respect for sovereignty and internationally recognised borders.
Saudi Arabia called on the US State Department to clarify its position on the remarks, stressing that the proposal was rejected by peace-loving nations around the world.
The Kingdom reaffirmed its firm opposition to any actions or statements that infringe on the sovereignty, borders or territorial integrity of states, reiterating that a just and comprehensive peace can only be achieved by ending the occupation and implementing a two-state solution.
That solution, the statement said, must include the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
