The President’s Office has revealed a delegation from Saudi Arabia has arrived in the Maldives for discussions on opening the King Salman Mosque in Male’.
Spokesperson at the President’s Office Mohamed Mabrook Azeez said the delegation from the Saudi government arrived in the Maldives to finalise an opening date for the King Salman Mosque, built under Saudi aid. The spokesperson added the final preparations to open the mosque will be arranged through the discussions, which will also be attended by the Saudi ambassador in the Maldives.
The King Salman Mosque was previously scheduled to be opened to the public ahead of Ramadan this year. However, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs later revealed the mosque could not be opened at the scheduled date due to complications of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a press statement released in April, the Islamic Ministry stated the mosque has been constructed to provide many different services, which require certain facilities to be installed. However, the ministry said the required facilities have not been completed, adding the government is working with the Government of Saudi Arabia to complete the facilities and services of the mosque.
The King Salman Mosque is a donation for Maldives by King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud. The mosque, which is designed to accommodate 4,000 worshippers at once, is being constructed by Turkish contractor Alke-Turmaks.
The mosque is being built to six-stories, with the ground floor dedicated for ablution and the first and second floors dedicated for prayer congregations. The third floor includes 4 classrooms, 5 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 design of the mosque showcases Islamic culture and heritage.