The United Arab Emirates (UAE) ordered today that prayers for the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday be performed at home. It is one of the first virus-related restrictions in the region for the upcoming Muslim holiday.
The Emirates’ National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority issued a series of directives for Eid al-Adha today. The holiday commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son on God’s command. In the Muslim world, it typically involves dayslong feasts and social gatherings in homes, in addition to prayers. It is expected to begin in late July this year.
Observers in the Emirates are to pray at home, the authority said in a tweet. Mosques will remain open during the holiday, but they have to be at 50% capacity. Mosque goers must also social distance by 2 meters (about 6½ feet), thus limiting the number of people who can pray at the houses of worship. Local authorities will inspect slaughterhouses for meat during the holiday and regulate congestion there, among other measures, according to the authority.
Countries in the Middle East are beginning to institute restrictions for Eid due to the continued coronavirus pandemic and the risk of spread associated with large gatherings that are common during the occasion. Oman announced that domestic travel will be prohibited during the holiday.
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