After a gap of two years, Saudi Arabia has decided to allow i'tikaf at the Grand Mosque of Makkah and the Prophet’s (PBUH) Mosque in Madina during the holy month of Ramadan, Saudi Gazette reported on Wednesday.

This was announced by the head of the General Presidency for Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques Dr Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais.

“I’itkaf in the Two Holy Mosques will take place in the last ten days of the blessed month of Ramadan, following the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.”

It was also announced that the general president will personally supervise the I’tikaf in the two Holy Mosques during the last ten days of the blessed month of Ramadan, and it will be under the supervision of the Coordinating Council and a field team.

Al-Sudais said the presidency will start issuing permits through its official website soon, and they will be in line with the specific conditions and set criteria, according to the report.

The presidency has also launched an online portal to give guidelines and offer registration facilities for the prospective worshippers intending to perform i'tikaf.While restrictions were also lifted for iftar, Taraweeh prayers, and i'tikaf at all other mosques in Saudi Arabia too.

Following the outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020, i'tikaf was suspended at the two Holy Mosques, while the suspension continued during the holy month in 2021 as a precautionary measure to stem the spread of the virus.

As many as 100,000 worshipers used to perform i'tikaf in the two mosques during the last 10 days of Ramadan.

At the beginning of March, Saudi Arabia lifted most Covid-19 restrictions, including social distancing in public spaces and quarantine for vaccinated arrivals.

Saudi Arabia lifts most Covid-19 restrictions

Last year in October, the Grand Mosque in Makkah operated at full capacity, with worshippers praying shoulder-to-shoulder for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began.