Saudi Driver Arrested for Ramming Car into Mecca's Grand Mosque Gate

On Saturday, Saudi Arabia’s authorities arrested a driver who rammed his car into the 89 gate of the Grand Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) in Mecca.

In a statement, the spokesman for the Mecca region governorate, Sultan al-Dosari, said that the man was found to be in an abnormal condition and was referred to the public prosecutor for questioning.

Videos posted on social media showed the car while moving at a high speed on one of the roads surrounding the southern courtyard of the Grand Mosque but no one was injured.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1322289951518720001

The Grand Mosque resumed congregational prayers earlier this month after a seven-month hiatus amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

On Sunday, the kingdom will allow some foreigners to perform Umrah, a pilgrimage to the cities of Mecca and Medina that can be done at any time of the year.

Umrah has historically attracted millions of pilgrims from around the world, but because of Covid-19, Saudi authorities have said they would gradually phase in the number of pilgrims allowed into the two holy cities.