Government to rebuild gutted ma’atam

A ma’atam that was destroyed by a devastating fire in Al Daih village on Saturday, will be rebuilt under the supervision of the government, it has been announced.

Interior Ministry confirmed that no injuries were caused by the fire and that “Civil Defence prevented the flames from spreading to nearby areas using six vehicles and 20 personnel”. The ministry added that an investigation has been launched into the incident to determine the causes of the mishap.

A delegation from the Jaffaria Waqf Directorate (JWD) at the Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Ministry visited the ma’atam on Saturday afternoon to assess the damages caused by the fire. The JWD is the official body concerned about such centers in the Kingdom.

During the visit, JWD Chairman Shaikh Abdulmohsen Al Asfoor announced that “the directorate will coordinate the demolition and rebuilding of the ma’atam with the related parties”, adding that “the process will be financed by the construction budget allocated by the directorate’s administration and donations for ma’atams”.

Shaikh Al Asfoor also affirmed that the JWD will work on “accelerating the issuance of construction permits, in coordination with the concerned authorities”.