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RIYADH: A Saudi man rammed a car at high speed into the outer walls of the Great Mosque of Mecca, Islam’s holiest site, authorities said Saturday.
Guards chased the driver as he passed through two barriers before crashing into one of the mosque’s south entrances on Friday night, according to holy city officials and videos on social media.
The Mecca authorities did not name the man, but said he appeared to be in an “abnormal condition”. He was referred to the Prosecutor’s Office to face possible charges, they added.
In early October, Saudi Arabia opened the Grand Mosque for prayers for the first time in seven months and expanded the umrah pilgrimage to accommodate 15,000 worshipers of the kingdom while relaxing restrictions on the coronavirus.
Umrah, a Muslim pilgrimage that can be performed at any time, was suspended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The umrah limit will be raised to 20,000 starting Sunday, when authorities will allow pilgrims from abroad.
Saudi Arabia hosted the annual hajj pilgrimage in late July, on the smallest scale in modern history.
Only up to 10,000 Muslim residents of the country were allowed to participate, a far cry from the 2.5 million who participated last year.
