Friday prayers in UAE mosques limited to 10 minutes

Mosques in the UAE will host Friday prayers starting from December 4, the NCEMA has announced.

The UAE had resumed congregation prayers at mosques on July 1 with reduced capacity, but Friday prayers remained suspended.

Mosques will take in 30 per cent of their capacity for the Friday prayers, authorities said during a virtual briefing.

The mosques will open 30 minutes before the sermon (khutbah) and will close 30 minutes after the prayer.

The sermon and prayer will last for a total of 10 minutes.

Ablution facilities and washrooms at mosques will remain closed. Worshippers are advised to perform the ablution from home.

For all other prayers, mosques will open 15 minutes before the prayers, except the Maghrib (sunset) one, which will open five minutes prior. All mosques will close 10 minutes after the prayers.

Worshippers must mandatorily wear face masks during the prayers and they must bring their own prayer mats. The elderly and those with weakened immunity should avoid going to the mosques.