Saudi King Salman did his Friday prayer at the St. Regis Bali, where he is currently staying during his vacay here.
There was much speculation about which mosque in Bali the king would choose for Jummah, the Friday afternoon congregational prayer in Islam that is given special reverence.
Bali Police Spokesman Heng Widjaja said that several mosques around Nusa Dua had taken special security preparations for Friday “just in case,” in anticipation of the king’s arrival, since the king’s plans were kept hush-hush.
“Now the information is that it was at the hotel, but we prepared and secured the big mosques in the Nusa Dua area in anticipation,” Widjaja said, as quoted by Antara Bali.
However, all that work apparently did not go to waste. While the king did his prayers at the St. Regis, some members of his entourage visited surrounding mosques, such as the Great Mosque of Ibn Battuta in the Nusa Dua Puja Mandala complex, Tribun Bali reported.
King Salman and an entourage of more than 1,000 have been staying in Bali since March 4. Their departure is currently scheduled for March 12, after the king decided to extend his time here.
