By Tala Ramadan
DUBAI (Reuters) – The United Arab Emirates has instructed preachers at mosques across the country to limit the length of Friday sermons and prayers to a maximum of 10 minutes as scorching heat continues to engulf the region, the news agency said. state news this Thursday.
The directive, issued by the UAE’s General Authority for Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Zakat (AWQAF), will come into effect on Friday and last until early October, according to the WAM news agency.
The decision was taken to “guarantee the safety of the faithful and meet the needs of those who visit the houses of God, especially during the summer months when temperatures are high,” WAM added.
According to the UAE’s National Meteorological Center, summer temperatures in the Gulf country often exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), with some areas recording maximum temperatures of up to 50 C (122 F).
In Saudi Arabia’s annual haj pilgrimage, 1,301 people died, 83% of whom were unregistered pilgrims exposed to direct sunlight “without adequate shelter or comfort,” Saudi Arabia’s health minister said earlier this week.
(Reporting by Tala Ramadan; Editing by Frances Kerry)
