The government of Mauritius has announced that it will receive $6 million from Saudi Arabia to fund renovation projects at mosques across the country. However, the funds will not be distributed automatically to all mosques. Instead, each mosque will need to submit a renovation project proposal, which will be reviewed by a Mauritian committee and then validated by a Saudi Arabian committee. This process aims to ensure that the funds are used effectively and efficiently.
The protocol agreement outlining the donation will be signed on October 18, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Mauritian Minister of Arts and Culture, Mahendra Gondeea, will attend the ceremony along with his Saudi counterpart, Sheikh Dr. Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh, and the Mauritian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. The Islamic Cultural Centre (ICC) and the Saudi Arabian Embassy in South Africa will act as implementing agents for the project.
According to Mauritian Minister Shakeel Mohamed, the Saudi Arabian authorities want to ensure that the donation, which comes from the Waqf, is used to finance only duly examined and approved renovation projects. He emphasized that each mosque will need to make a formal request to benefit from the funding. The minister confirmed that disbursements will only be made for projects validated by the Saudi party.
The initiative to secure funding for mosque renovations was originally proposed by Showkutally Soodhun, a fact that Minister Shakeel Mohamed noted that no one can deny. He also acknowledged the role of Paul Bérenger, then Deputy Prime Minister, in facilitating the successful outcome of the project. The minister addressed the reasons for the delay in securing the funding, citing a request by the previous government to replace the term "mosque" with "religious institution" in the protocol agreement, which was rejected by the Saudi authorities.
Minister Shakeel Mohamed highlighted that the Mauritian government had requested a modification to the protocol agreement, which was not accepted by the Saudi authorities. This led to a delay in the implementation of the project. However, with the signing of the protocol agreement, the project can now move forward, and mosques can begin submitting their renovation proposals.
The $6 million donation from Saudi Arabia is expected to support the renovation of mosques in Mauritius, which is a significant contribution to the country's Islamic community. The Mauritian government has expressed its gratitude to the Saudi authorities for their support and generosity. The project is expected to strengthen bilateral relations between Mauritius and Saudi Arabia.
Key aspects of the project include the requirement for mosques to submit formal requests for funding and the validation of renovation projects by both Mauritian and Saudi committees. Two key points to note are:
Key points
- Mosques must submit renovation project proposals for validation.
- Only validated projects will receive funding.
- The protocol agreement will be signed on October 18, 2026.
