RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has approved Tarawih prayers to be held in the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah during Ramadan, but to reduce them to 10 raka’ats.
Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, head of the Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, said the decision was based on King Salman’s keenness to continue holding rituals in both mosques and to harness all means available to help worshippers to perform rites in a safe environment that met all international health standards.
He added that the presidency was deploying all its resources to serve pilgrims and worshippers during Ramadan.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs announced that Tarawih and Qiyaam prayers would be combined with the Isha prayer in all mosques in the Kingdom, and that they do not exceed 30 minutes.
The ministry said the decision was made to reduce the duration that worshippers spend inside mosques and to avoid high rates of infection.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said that starting from Ramadan 1, permits for Umrah, prayers and visits to the Two Holy Mosques would be granted to people who have received the COVID-19 vaccine, according to availability from the Tawakkalna app.
The ministry also said that Umrah permits may be obtained through hotels surrounding the Grand Mosque during Ramadan.
Authorities said last week that only pilgrims with permits would be allowed to enter the Grand Mosque and perform Umrah prayers during the month and until the end of the pandemic.
The ministry, in coordination with the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence, said the hotels would be able to issue Umrah permits only, without permits to pray in the Grand Mosque, through the Tawakkalna and Eatmarna apps in accordance with regulatory requirements and approved health protocols.
The ministry said that this was in addition to the previously announced controls and mechanisms for issuing Umrah and prayer permits in the Grand Mosque during Ramadan for those who met the health requirements, so that the services facilitated to pilgrims from both the public and private sectors were a success.
Unauthorized vehicles will not be allowed in the Central Region around Makkah, and visitors must arrive on time or risk losing their time slot.
Children will not be allowed to enter either mosques, nor the courtyards around the mosques.
The ministry called on people to follow the preventive measures to ensure the safety, health and security of those visiting the Grand Mosque.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Mohammed bin Ahmed Al-Khudairi, undersecretary of the Presidency of the Prophet’s Mosque, launched an electronic service to measure the capacity of the mosque and its squares.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman approves Tarawih prayers in Two Holy Mosques
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Saudi Arabia’s King Salman approves Tarawih prayers in Two Holy Mosques
- Umrah permits may be obtained through hotels surrounding the Grand Mosque
- Permits for Umrah, prayers and visits to the Two Holy Mosques will be granted from Ramadan 1
National program identifies 165 native plants for afforestation efforts in Asir
- The survey is part of broader plans focused on restoring degraded land, using native vegetation
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s National Afforestation Program has identified more than 165 species of native plants suitable for afforestation in the Asir region, highlighting the ecological diversity of one of the Kingdom’s most environmentally varied areas, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The findings form part of broader national efforts to expand vegetation cover, address land degradation, and support sustainability goals linked to the Saudi Green Initiative and Vision 2030.
According to the program, the identified species are distributed across a wide range of natural environments in Asir, including mountainous terrain, highlands, slopes, valleys, plains, rocky landscapes, and coastal areas stretching from the Red Sea to Tihama.
The species belong to numerous plant families, including Fabaceae, Anacardiaceae, Burseraceae, Capparaceae, Ebenaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae, Myrtaceae, Oleaceae, and Primulaceae, among others.
Plants suitable for afforestation range from large and small trees to perennial and annual shrubs, herbs, succulents, bulbs, and climbing plants.
Among the most notable species identified are the grey mangrove, mastic tree, mooring or ben tree, juniper, sycamore fig, wild olive, henna, wild jasmine, hawthorn, and arak.
The Saudi Arabian Botanical Society described the announcement as an important step in protecting plant diversity and strengthening the ecosystem conservation in the Kingdom.
Munirah bin Hamad Al-Hazani, founder and president of the society, said that prioritizing native species is central to sustainable afforestation.
“Focusing on the cultivation of native plants adapted to diverse environments forms the cornerstone of sustainable afforestation projects, as it plays a pivotal role in enhancing vegetation cover, combating land degradation, and conserving natural and financial resources,” she told Arab News.
Al-Hazani added that long-term success depends on cooperation between government bodies and the nonprofit sector, alongside community involvement and environmental awareness programs.
The National Afforestation Program has increasingly emphasized community participation, working with government agencies, private companies, and nonprofit organizations to support planting initiatives and environmental education. Its approach includes promoting volunteerism and discouraging harmful environmental practices, while focusing on the use of native plants adapted to local conditions.
Parallel efforts are underway in other regions of the Kingdom to support vegetation restoration through research and infrastructure development. In Jouf, often referred to as the Kingdom’s food basket, the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority has established a Central Nursery and a Wild Seeds Research and Production Station to address the growing demand for reliable sources of native seeds and seedlings.
The project was launched in 2023 under the directive of Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif, the minister of interior and chairman of the authority’s board of directors.
Since then, the facilities has become a key component of vegetation restoration efforts within the reserve.
The authority has focused on building operational capacity by recruiting and training specialists to manage cultivation and research activities. The research and production station includes 14 mother-seed production fields containing over 400,000 trees and shrubs.
Planting began in late 2024, with more than 30 native plant species represented, selected for their role in the reserve’s natural ecosystem.
The facility also includes two seed storage units with a combined capacity of 3,000 kilograms. Seeds are collected annually from multiple sites within the reserve and used for seedling production habitat rehabilitation.
The Central Nursery spans 6,000 square meters and includes 30 greenhouses spanning 1,500 square meters, as well as two shade houses used during summer months. A plant hardening facility, designed to prepare seedlings for natural environmental conditions, covers 10,000 square meters and is divided into seven sections. The nursery’s annual production capacity reaches 1.5 million seedlings, representing more than 15 native plant species.
Together, these initiatives underscore the growing role of native plant research and propagation in Saudi Arabia’s afforestation strategy, particularly as the Kingdom works to balance environmental restoration with long-term sustainability goals.
