FaceOf: Sheikh Ali Ahmad Mulla, muezzin of the Grand Mosque in Makkah

Sheikh Ali Ahmad Mulla
Updated 13 June 2018
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FaceOf: Sheikh Ali Ahmad Mulla, muezzin of the Grand Mosque in Makkah

JEDDAH: Sheikh Ali Ahmad Mulla has been muezzin (the caller for prayer) of the Grand Mosque in Makkah since 1975. 

He is considered one of the most famous muezzins at the Grand Mosque for the past 40 years and his voice is recognized by most guests that visit the mosque.

Mulla was born in June 1945 in Makkah, and grew up in a family where working as a muezzin is a family tradition. 

His maternal uncle, Hafeez Khoja, his paternal uncle, Abdul Rahman Mulla, and his grandfather, Ahmad Mulla, were all muezzins at the Grand Mosque of Makkah. 

He received Islamic education from a young age, and graduated in 1971 from the artistic education department at the Model Capital Institute in Riyadh. 

He later received his master’s degree in the same field. 

After his graduation, Mulla worked as a teacher at Abdullah ibn Al-Zubair Intermediate School. In 1974 he was officially appointed muezzin at the Grand Mosque. Since then, calling for prayer is his main career, in addition to working in his own business.

Mulla began practicing performing Adhan (prayer call) when he was 13 and practiced the call to prayer from the minaret of Bab Al-Zeyada in the Grand Mosque. 

He moved to the minaret at Bab Al-Mahkma and then became the muezzin for the entire mosque.

In 1979, during the Grand Mosque seizure, Mulla was a witness to the incident where the Adhan stopped in the mosque for 23 days. 

After the siege was lifted he was the first to raise the Adhan of Maghrib prayer (sunset prayer) in the Grand Mosque, and King Khalid attended the prayer.


Foreign ministers chair Saudi-Omani coordination council meeting in Muscat

Updated 57 min 38 sec ago
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Foreign ministers chair Saudi-Omani coordination council meeting in Muscat

MUSCAT: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al-Busaidi on Monday.

They reviewed bilateral relations between their nations and ways to enhance and develop them across various fields. Additionally, they discussed regional and international developments.

The ministers co-chaired the third meeting of the Saudi-Omani Coordination Council in the Omani capital, Muscat, with the participation of the heads of the Council’s subsidiary committees and the two heads of the Council’s General Secretariat teams.

The meeting comes as an affirmation of the keenness of Saudi and Omani leaders to strengthen ties and advance them toward greater prosperity for both nations.

In his remarks during the meeting, Prince Faisal affirmed that gathering builds on the previous council meeting, held last year in AlUla, and on its positive and fruitful outcomes within the framework of the approved recommendations and initiatives. 

He stressed the importance of continuing the work of the council’s subsidiary committees to complete the necessary procedures to implement the remaining initiatives, and of the General Secretariat’s role in follow-up and in addressing any challenges that may hinder implementation.

He also underscored the importance of developing and enhancing trade relations, stimulating investment, and strengthening cooperation between the public and private sectors.

He also praised the ongoing work to establish and launch the Coordination Council’s electronic platform, which aims to connect all committee work and initiatives to facilitate follow-up on the Council’s progress. 

Al-Busaidi affirmed in his remarks the qualitative progress in relations between the two countries and the notable development witnessed across numerous sectors toward achieving economic integration and enhancing intra-trade and joint investments. 

The Omani foreign minister also highlighted deeper cooperation in the security and judicial fields, as well as the cultural and tourism sectors, noting the advanced and continuous political cooperation, consultation, and coordination on regional and international issues.