The start of the holy month of Ramadan for the year 2024 is astronomically expected to fall on Monday 11 March, according to the Qatar Calendar House.

Qatar’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs announced over 1,500 activities spanning religious and cultural themes during the holy month of Ramadan.

These activities range from mosque lessons and seminars to competitions for both children and adults. The programme aims to cover all aspects of life and faith during the holy month.

With the readiness of 2,278 mosques for prayers and Taraweeh, the Ministry ensured that worshippers have ample spaces, including designated areas for women.

Director of Mosques Management Department Suleiman bin Jumaan Al Qahtani brought up the preparations, focusing on cleanliness, maintenance, and the provision of necessary amenities. Those amenities include attending to the needs of each mosque with regards to loudspeakers and necessary furnishers and preparing women’s side of the prayer rooms in many mosques.

The department, he said, will open 12 new mosques by the beginning of Ramadan.

“Many Imams with good voice and mastery of recitation of holy Quran are prepared to lead the worshipers in Taraweeh and Qiyam prayers in mosques across the country,” added Al Qahtani.

In a bid to enhance the mosque experience, the ministry will launch the second phase of the Imam app, facilitating requests for Imams and muezzins during the holy month.

“During the last ten days of the holy month, we will implement the Itikaf project in several mosques that will be announced later, in addition to publishing a list of the Eid prayer ground at the end of the month of Ramadan,” said Al Qahtani.

As part of the Iftar programme, 20 locations will host the distribution of 700,000 meals at the rate of 24,000 meals per day, dedicated to fasting individuals.

15 Ramadan tents will also be set up to provide Iftar meals and food baskets will be distributed to families in need.

Director of the Endowment Funds Department at the General Department of Endowments Jassim bin Hassan Bu Hazza provided details on the plans for the Iftar Saim Project and the setup of 15 Ramadan tents.

Bu Hazza also highlighted the food basket project, aimed at providing necessities to underprivileged families in collaboration with the Hifz Al Naama Center.

Head of the Zakat Services Section of the Zakat Affairs Department Muhammad bin Jaber Al Baridi emphasised the department’s role in communicating with beneficiaries and the importance of serving society and providing boosted services to those in need.

To enhance the social role of the department, Al Baridi said that the Zakat Affairs Department operates in two shifts, morning and evening, to receive cases and requests through its website.

An advertising campaign is also underway to encourage community members to contribute to zakat.

Director of the Department of Religious Call and Guidance Malallah Abdul Rahman Al Jaber outlined a preaching plan for this year’s Ramadan, which includes 1,400 activities covering various aspects of life and faith, such as mosque lessons, seminars, competitions, and field visits to patients in hospitals.

Director of Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Center (Fanar) Saleh Ali Al Akhen shared exciting plans for the centre, including a variety of Ramadan programs and events for the diverse communities residing in Qatar.

Al Akhen highlighted a course in the Arabic language for non-native speakers, and an introductory program for the Filipino community about the month of Ramadan and Qatari culture. There will also be a Ramadan competition for Muslims in multiple languages.