The Ministry of Islamic Affairs says the majority of mosques in the Kingdom are built by philanthropists, and not the ministry. In this file picture, a mosque under construction is seen in Jeddah. — Archives SR500m allocated by King to be used RIYADH – Sheikh Saleh Aal Al-Sheikh, Minister of Islamic Affairs, has said many mosques in the Kingdom are in need of renovation and that the ministry will conclude the precise number within the next two months. “The ministry is working on determining the number of mosques that need restoration all over the region and expects to finish this process in two months. The restoration costs will be covered by the SR500 million allocated by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, for this purpose,” said Aal Al-Sheikh, according to a report published in Al-Madina. Philanthropists build more mosques than the ministry, the Sheikh said. “The number of mosques that need renovation is large. Besides, these mosques were built with low quality construction materials and specifications; therefore, they have been easily affected by the Kingdom's weather,” he added. He said unlike regular buildings, there is no code regulating the construction of mosques in the Kingdom. “Mosques should be built to stay 30 years without renovation,” Aal Al-Sheikh added. However, currently most mosques need renovation 10 or 12 years after being constructed. The ministry hopes there will be a construction code for mosques in the future.
