Saudi: Expats can now lead prayers during Ramadan

June 21, 2014

Riyadh, Jun 21: Expatriates would be allowed to lead prayers in Ramadan at mosques in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after a yearlong ban, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs announced recently.

Salman Al-Atawi, spokesman for the ministry in Tabuk, said the ministry has decided to allow expatriates to lead prayers during Ramadan on condition that they are employees of the Charitable Society for the Memorization of the Holy Qur'an.

Leading prayers and other activities at mosques in the Kingdom would be subject to strict regulations issued by the Ministries of Islamic Affairs, Interior and Social Affairs, he said.

The ministry banned foreigners from leading prayers last year, but allowed some muezzins and imams to delegate their duties to expatriates through subcontracts, in return for part of their monthly salary.

The ministry had assigned supervisors last year to monitor mosques and ensure that imams did not pass on their duties to non-Saudis.

Lower the loudspeakers ' volume

Al-Atawi said muezzins and imams are not allowed to go on holiday during Ramadan. He said the ministry wants imams to lower the volume of their mosques' loudspeakers to prevent disturbing citizens living nearby.

Imams and muezzins must not delegate the call to prayer to non-Saudis, and get permission from the ministry if they want Saudis to do this in emergencies.

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Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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