On behalf of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah Region, will wash the Holy Ka'ba on Saturday. The event will be telecast live. Several scholars, ministers, members of the diplomatic corps in the Kingdom, heads of Haj missions and keepers of the Holy Ka'ba key will attend the ceremony held annually since the days of late King Abdul Aziz. The Ka'ba is washed twice every year – in Sha'ban and Dhul Hijja. It is washed with Zamzam water, oud oil and rose water. The annual tradition includes washing of Ka'ba's floor and internal walls to a height of 1.5 meters. Then it is dried with oud oil. The Ka'ba washing is the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). On conquering Makkah when the Prophet and his companions entered the Grand Mosque they washed the Ka'ba to purify it from evil.
