The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance is the competent entity for managing the affairs of small and large mosques, as well as prayer halls (musallas), in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Its functions include drafting regulations and laws regulating the work of the ministry, in addition to public sensitization about the good practice of Islam among members of the community, calling to Islam domestically and abroad, and overall supervision of the King Fahd Glorious Quran Printing Complex.
Establishment of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance
It was first established as the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Awqaf, Dawah, and Guidance in 1993 during the reign of King Fahd Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and its first minister was Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdulmohsen al-Turki. Following a Royal Order in 2016, the ministry’s name was changed to Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance conducts most of its work from its headquarters in the capital, Riyadh, and has thirteen branches in all regions of the Kingdom. The minister, appointed by a Royal Order, is the chief responsible for the ministry and a member of the Council of Ministers.
Number of mosques in the Kingdom
According to the ministry's statistics for 2020, there are around 88.3 thousand mosques and musallas supervised by the ministry spread across the regions and governorates of the Kingdom.
The ministry annually organizes local and international competitions for the Holy Quran and the prophetic Sunnah, including the King Abdulaziz International Competition for Memorizing the Quran and the local King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Award for Memorizing, Reciting, and Interpreting the Holy Quran.
Departments of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance has a number of secretariats, comprising: the General Secretariat for the Holy Quran Competition; the General Secretariat for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Guests Program; the General Secretariat for Islamic Awareness in Hajj, Umrah, and Visitation; the General Secretariat for the King Fahd Glorious Quran Printing Complex; and the General Secretariat for Exhibitions and Conferences. There is also a host of departments affiliated with the ministry, the most important of which is the General Department of Administrative and Financial Affairs. Moreover, the ministry oversees six agencies: the Mosques’ Affairs Agency, the Publications and Scientific Research Agency, the Planning and Digital Transformation Agency, the Dawah and Guidance Agency, the Islamic Affairs Agency, and the Projects and Maintenance Agency.
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