Ahlul Bayt News Agency (ABNA.ir), Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz, Interior Minister, refused to re-open the closed Shia mosques in Eastern Province for undisclosed security and sectarian issues.
Sources from Najran informed that a delegation from Ismaili met the Prince in his office on Saturday night where he informed them that re-opening the closed mosques is non negotiable.
The prince also highlighted that closure of Ismaili mosques has ties with security and sectarian matters and other sects.
The Prince further added that Eastern Province has many mosques for various sects and are attended by foreign visitors which may lead to things not known to many.
This is the first announcement from highly ranked Saudi official talking about the closed Shia mosques.
The delegation that met the Prince included deputy chief of Ismaili sect Shaikh Ahmed Al-Jamaly, the son of the Ismaili sect Hussain Al-Makrami and other Ismaili tribes Shaikhs.
Saudi Shia constitute about 15% of the total population and are concentrated in the oil rich Eastern Province.
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