UAE Mosques Will Reopen Women’s Prayer Areas And Allow For More Prayer Time This Ramadan

This will be the third Ramadan during the pandemic. The number of positive cases per day is declining, and that means the precationary measures are easing. It’s time to have a relatively normal Ramadan!

During today’s COVID media briefing, NCEMA stated the new regulations that will take place during the Holy Month of Ramadan.

There have been major updates made to the mosque protocols for Ramadan 2022

#NCEMA: We announce the recent updates on mosques protocol for the Holy Month of Ramadan, as we expanded the scope of receiving worshipers and resumed many of the procedures that were halted due to the circumstances of the #COVID19 pandemic.
#TogetherWeRecover pic.twitter.com/FUH7sbLCCK

— NCEMA UAE (@NCEMAUAE) March 30, 2022

Mosques will reopen women’s prayer areas, reintroduce lectures, allow for water distribution and allow for a longer prayer time this Ramadan

For Ramadan 2021, mosque protocols stated that Isha and Tarawih prayers were be capped at 30 minutes; lectures and seminars were suspended, food distribution was prohibited and women’s prayer areas were closed. This year, however, lectures and daily seminars are resuming in mosques, women’s prayer areas will be open, and distribution of bottled water is allowed.

Volunteers will be present to monitor all precautionary measures in prayer halls. They will ensure all masks are worn, single-use prayer mats are being used, and a one-metre distance between worshippers is being practised.

Other protocols are:

• For the time between the Isha call to prayer and prayer 20 minutes.
• A period of 45 minutes devoted to the Isha prayer with the Tarawih prayer and Witr.
• A time of no more than 45 minutes is allocated for the Tahajjud prayer in the last ten days of Ramadan.

The protocol also notes amending the alignment of worshipers to be in a straight (vertical) shape instead of a zigzag shape, in order to facilitate the entry and exit process and for the sake of organization.

As previously announced, the Holy Book of Quran would be redistributed to mosques provided that they are sterilized after use.

#NCEMA: The protocol states that the distance of one meter between worshipers will remain in effect, while allowing Tarawih prayers to be held throughout the entirety of the Holy Month, and Tahajjud prayers in the last ten days of Ramadan while following certain regulations. pic.twitter.com/PNeeLf7jfa

— NCEMA UAE (@NCEMAUAE) March 30, 2022