The UAE authorities on Tuesday announced the reopening of mosques for Friday prayers from December 4. The development has come after eight months when authorities had closed mosques for worshipers in a bid to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. The new decision has been taken in line with the efforts to resuming normal religious rituals across the UAE. However, mosques and churches in industrial areas will remain closed as of now.

However, the authorities have also announced COVID-19 precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus as the mosques will reopen to worshipers for Friday prayers next month. Safety protocols will be in place across all mosques in the UAE and worshipers' capacity has been capped at 30 per cent. Furthermore, they will be allowed to pray in the courtyards.

During a weekly media briefing, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) spokesperson, Dr Saif Al Dhaheri, said that places of worship have ensured all COVID-19 precautions, including regular testing of all individuals working in mosques in line with the steps to return normalcy in the country.

Asserting that the reopening of mosques will require everyone's commitment to safety norms, he urged people to cooperate with the authorities to control the spread of COVID-19.

Furthermore, volunteer groups have been appointed to provide assistance and raise awareness among worshipers in different languages about the importance of adhering to safety precautions.

Mosques will be required to undergo regular sanitation, ensure physical distancing measures and ensure the provision of separate entry and exit points. All worshipers are required to face masks during the prayers and bring their own mats and Quran, or they can use an app to avoid contact. They are urged to maintain physical distancing during greetings, not touch any surfaces, and perform ablution at home.

In addition, there will be no distribution of food and water at mosques. Women's prayer halls, ablution places and toilets will also remain closed for the time being. These regulations will be applicable during five daily prayers as well.

Speaking at the briefing, Dr Al Dhaheri noted that mosque doors will be opened 30 minutes before Friday prayers, and they will close down 30 minutes after the sermons, adding that the prayers will last for 10 minutes.

The authorities have advised the elderly, children and people with chronic health conditions to pray at home for their safety amid the prevailing pandemic threat.

In a bid to control the pandemic crisis, the UAE authorities had closed all places of worship in March. While places of worship started reopening gradually in July, Friday prayers remained suspended in a bid to prevent large gatherings at the mosques.

In a recent media briefing, Dr Omar Al Hammadi, UAE government's official spokesperson, stated that the country recorded a 14 percent increase in COVID-19 recoveries at 5,614 in the week between November 18 and November 24 over the previous week. The UAE also recorded its lowest weekly death rate at 0.3 of the total cases since the beginning of the pandemic outbreak. It is among the lowest death rates due to COVID-19 across the world. Dr Hammadi also noted that the UAE carried out 791,519 tests in the past week, adding that the ratio of positive cases to total tests continued to remain 1 percent. It is among the lowest rates in comparison to the European Union, OECD nations and other countries in the Middle East and North Africa region.