The Islamic Ministry has stated that there are delays in opening newly built King Salman Mosque as important facilities have not been installed at the site thus far.
A statement issued by the ministry said although the mosque has been built in such a way that it could offer several services to the public, some necessary facilities are still lacking at the mosque
The ministry also said while a delegation from the government of Saudi Arabia, which sponsored the project, wishes to attend the opening of the mosque, the current travel restrictions and precautionary measures due to COVID-19 are preventing the team from traveling to the Maldives. This is another reason for the delay in opening the mosque, said the ministry.
During a press conference held on March 10th, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had also referred to the delay in the arrival of the Saudi Arabian delegation as a reason for the delayed opening of the mosque. However, at that time, he had stated that the government was working to open the mosque by Ramadan prior to the official opening. A few days later, Islamic Minister Dr. Ahmed Zahir contradicted the president's statement and said it is not possible to open the mosque by the start of Ramadan, and that more funding needs to be acquired to complete the unfinished work at the site.
The almost-complete mosque stands on the outskirts of Male' city overlooking the Sinamale' Bridge. Spread over a total area of 41500 square feet, the beautiful mosque can accommodate 10,000 people simultaneously. Four elevators have been installed at the mosque for easy access. The ground, first and second floor of the five-storey building is allocated for praying. While the ground of the mosque has the capacity to accommodate 6000 worshipers, 4000 people can simultaneously use the first and second floors of the mosque. The second floor is especially for female worshippers, it has a separate entrance with special washrooms for women. The third floor of the mosque has a large library and an auditorium. Although the infrastructural work of both rooms have been completed, the furniture required for the auditorium and some other rooms have not yet been installed. The fourth floor has a part of the auditorium and a lobby while the fifth floor has a multi-purpose hall.
