RIYADH: The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH) and the Roadside Mosques Charity Association (Masajedna) recently signed a cooperation agreement for the maintenance and upkeep of mosques located at roadside stations across the Kingdom, under the organization “Masajedna.”

The agreement was signed at the the SCTNH headquarters by Engineer Omar Al Mubarak, the Director General of the licensing department, and Mohammad Al-Meshari, director general of Masajedna, according to a SCTNH spokesperson on Thursday.

After the signing of the agreement, both partners are expected to jointly launch a media campaign in collaboration with the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs (MoMRA) and the Abdul Lateef Al-Fozan Mosque Architecture Association, highlighting the importance of caring for and preserving mosques across different parts of the Kingdom, the official said.

The campaign will include all mosques, whether they are located along highways or inside the city neighborhoods, he added.

In a firm stance against those violating the guidelines for preservation, the SCTNH will coordinate with the MoMRA to issue notifications for the shutting down of any fuel stations along the highways if its mosques do not meet the Ministry’s hygiene and services standards.

Earlier, commending the Masajedna initiative for the preservation and maintenance of mosques, Prince Sultan bin Salman, SCTNH president, said that “caring for mosques and enhancing their status in society is a noble mission exceeding the importance of ministries, organizations and associations.”

“In fact, it is a matter of worship,” he added.

The collective effort behind improving the upkeep of roadside mosques has been appreciated by citizens and expatriates alike. Wael Abdullah, an IT professional in Riyadh, commended the efforts, saying that, as with the mosques in the cities, the roadside places of worship should also be well maintained.

Mohammad Arshad, an Asian expatriate, was also happy to learn of the new agreement, saying that it is good that the Masajedna initiative is being supported by the SCTNH because it will improve the state of the mosques along the highways where he and his family often go for Umrah.