Today, Monday, the Minister of Endowments, Islamic Affairs and Holy Sites, Muhammad Al-Khalayleh, said that 17 percent of the ministry’s budget goes to the endowments of Al-Aqsa Mosque, at a value of 14 million and 600 thousand dinars, out of 88 million and 900 thousand dinars, the general budget of the ministry.

Al-Khalayleh added, during a meeting of the Parliamentary Finance Committee at the Ministry of Endowments, that approximately 9 million and 468 thousand dinars go as allocations to serve more than 7,500 mosques in all governorates of the Kingdom.

He pointed out that the energy bill for mosques is high, however, during the past year, about 6 million dinars were reduced from it, through the project to cover mosques with solar energy.

On bearing the energy costs of mosques, Al-Khalayleh said that the Ministry of Energy bears 25 percent of them, mosque committees bear 25 percent, and 50 percent is borne by the Ministry of Endowments, Islamic Affairs and Holy Sites.

He pointed out during his speech to the deputies that the ministry allocates, every year, from outside its budget, sums for the renovation of mosque furniture, furnishings and maintenance, through the endowment property program, adding that the income for the development of endowment property amounted to nearly 7 million dinars last year, which is not included in the ministry’s general budget.

He pointed out that the ministry has created a department dedicated to the development and development of endowment funds, and we hope that the proceeds will increase with the coming years, to restore Islamic schools, the Makassed Hospital and other health and educational projects, indicating that any donations remain for mosques, and we do not take a single dinar from them.

Regarding mosque preachers, he said that most of them are ministry employees and holders of Sharia certificates, but there is a small part that do not hold Sharia certificates, and we seek that all preachers be holders of Sharia certificates.

He added that there are preachers who give sermons for a tip, and some of them give sermons for free.