A mosque in Hail built far from cities and villages: Is it permissible to hold the Friday prayer there?

The questioner:
Abu Ryan from Hail, please go ahead, Abu Ryan. Peace be upon you. And upon you be peace. May Allah keep you in good health, Shaykh Salih.

The Shaykh:
May Allah welcome you. Shaykh, may Allah preserve you, I have more than one question, may Allah preserve you. Abu Ryan, if you please, just lower the television volume a bit because there is an echo from your voice right now. There is a television, may Allah preserve you, Shaykh al-Batari. Okay, please listen. The question is: There are people in the Hail region who expose wells, meaning remote ones far from cities and villages, and then they build a mosque at that location. After that, they bring a group of people, whom I call individuals, and present them to the Islamic Affairs Department on the pretext that they are requesting to hold the Friday prayer at this location, even though there is no one there and no one resides there. I mean, when Friday comes, they come from the village and the city. They pray, and when they finish praying, each one returns to his village or city. I am asking about the ruling on the prayer, Shaykh Salih, may Allah preserve you. My brother, the Friday prayer is not held except with a fatwa from the Department of Ifta and a report submitted by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, which is then presented to the Permanent Committee. They look into it to see if it is permissible for them to pray the Friday prayer or not. These procedures are necessary; it is not a matter of personal whim, and affairs are not to be chaotic.

The questioner:
It is necessary.

The Shaykh:
They submit to the Ministry of Islamic Affairs. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs forms a committee that looks at the site, the town, and the neighborhood, and decides whether it merits it or not. Then it is referred to the Ifta Department, which examines it and gives its opinion. Yes.

The questioner:
Shaykh Salih, may Allah preserve you. Can you hear me?

The Shaykh:
Yes, yes.

The questioner:
I believe they have a fatwa, Shaykh Salih, but the situation is as I mentioned, meaning as I stated, they are not silent, and there is not a single person; this person is the owner of the treatment. I mean, unfortunately, they are being favored by the Islamic Affairs Department.

The Shaykh:
If you have a complaint about them, submit it to the branch of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs in Hail and the Department of Mosques, and they will look into it and rectify the matter if there is a complaint. Yes.