A spokesman of the Saudi security forces, Major Sameh Al Salmi, told Saudi news site Sabq that the suspect was spotted dousing himself in gasoline near the holy site when he was caught on Monday.

Sameh said the Saudi man’s dramatic behaviour suggested that he was mentally ill and necessary action had been taken.

A Bernama report earlier from Xinhua news agency quoted a Saudi Arabian eyewitness as saying that he spotted a man dousing petrol on the black cloth at the Kaaba and alerted the security personnel nearby.

The Kaaba is central for all Muslims who are required to look in its direction when they perform their prayers five times a day. During the haj or umrah, pilgrims walk counterclockwise around it seven times.

Bernama said places of worship had been targeted by Daesh (Islamic State) militant groups in recent years.

In May 2016, Saudi police prevented a catastrophe by foiling the attempt of a suicide bomber to reach the Prophet’s mosque in Medina. Police action left the attacker and four police personnel dead, and five others injured.