Expatriates found reserving for money places to pray inside the Grand Mosque will be deported and Saudis involved in this illegal practice will be referred to the authorities concerned, according to new regulations issued by the General Presidency of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque. The Presidency has formed a committee to prevent this practice and has distributed 2,000 pamphlets which contain a religious decree issued by Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Abdullah Aal Al-Sheikh, the Grand Mufti, prohibiting this practice. To be in a prime place for prayer is a privilege that should not be bought and sold, but rather earned by dedication and effort, says the religious decree. Dr. Yousuf Al-Wabel, Assistant Deputy President for Services at the General Presidency, said that the committee, which began work on the first day of Ramadan, makes tours inside the Grand Mosque looking for people who charge a reservation fee for places to pray. During Ramadan, each space can sell for up to SR900. Meanwhile, it has been announced that to deal with the ever-increasing numbers of pilgrims, security, research and academic bodies are studying a proposal to expand the Mataf – the area around the Ka'ba for circumambulation – by 160 percent. The proposal was made by a committee tasked with studying the expansion of the Mataf over the last three years. Shariah viewpoints were examined by two members of the Board of Senior Ulema and officials of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques. __
