Kuwait Moves to Curb Electricity Use with Shorter Prayers, Mosque Restrictions
Prayer halls to close, worship shortened as Kuwait mosques face power-saving measures
By Abdullahi Yusuf
Kuwait’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs has issued new directives to mosques across the country, instructing them to shorten prayer durations, restrict access to prayer halls, and limit air conditioning usage.
The measures, announced by the Mosques Department in Hawalli Governorate, aim to reduce electricity consumption amid surging demand. A circular detailing the steps was distributed to imams and muezzins following a request from the Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy.
The move is part of a broader energy-saving initiative, which includes scheduled power cuts at mosques across Kuwait’s six governorates starting this week.
Under the new rules, mosques are instructed to close the main indoor prayer halls for all five daily prayers. Worshippers are to perform prayers in outdoor courtyards instead. Indoor prayer areas will only be opened for Friday prayers, with air conditioning set to 22°C on automatic mode from Thursday evening until the end of Friday’s service.
For daily prayers, outdoor areas will be used, and any air conditioning must be maintained at 25°C on auto mode.
Women’s prayer sections are to be closed in most mosques, except in those hosting religious lectures or classes. In such cases, air conditioning should also be set to 25°C, and the sections must be closed immediately after the sessions end.
In addition to spatial restrictions, the directive includes changes to the timing and length of prayers. Imams have been instructed to shorten the interval between the call to prayer (adhan) and the start of prayer (iqama), especially for the noon (Dhuhr) and afternoon (Asr) prayers. The duration of the prayers themselves should also be shortened.
The ministry also outlined a schedule of power cuts, including a blackout from 30 minutes after the noon prayer until 15 minutes before the afternoon prayer, and another from 30 minutes after the afternoon prayer until 5 p.m.
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