JEDDAH, 17 October 2006 — Plans are under way to air-condition the whole of the built-up area of the Grand Mosque in Makkah as part of new projects to be carried out there, according to Muhammad Al-Khozaim, deputy chief of the Presidency for Two Holy Mosques’ Affairs.
He said the Saudi government has already spent more than SR70 billion on the expansion of the Two Holy Mosques during the past years. “Efforts are under way to build new gates at the first floor of the mosque in order to facilitate entry and exit of worshippers especially after prayers,” Al-Khozaim said.
“We have also received approval from higher authorities to expand the Zamzam cooling system to meet the requirements of the growing number of pilgrims,” he added.
He also disclosed plans to establish a new building for the Haram Library close to the mosque.
He said the presidency has allocated 53 percent of the space in the mosque to female worshippers. “The presidency has arranged special prayer areas for women during Ramadan and it covers 53 percent of the whole Haram, including the mataaf and three floors,” he explained.
Nearly two million pilgrims visit the Grand Mosque in Makkah these days (the last 10 days of Ramadan) to perform Umrah and attend taraweeh and qiyamullail prayers. Saudi authorities have called in additional security forces from around the Kingdom to control the heavy influx of pilgrims.
In an official statement yesterday, the public security department said it had deployed about 15,000 men in Makkah and Madinah to ensure the security and safety of the guests of God.
A number of new real estate projects are being implemented in Makkah to cater to the needs of increasing number of pilgrims who come for both Haj and Umrah. According to Habib Zain Al-Abidine, undersecretary at the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, some 25 new real estate projects are being carried out in the central region including Jabal Omar, Shamiya and Khandama projects.
Sami Barhameen, secretary-general of the Makkah Development Authority, said the development projects to be implemented around the Grand Mosque were designed in a way ensuring the safety of Zamzam water and enabling worshippers to follow the imam at the Grand Mosque during prayers. “The authority will not allow any projects that would hinder worshippers from standing in line behind the imam,” he said.
The Makkah Development Authority approved the master plan for the development of the central region of the holy city in December last year. The plan aims at accommodating three million residents and eight million pilgrims. Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed said the revised master plan would be the basis for the development of Makkah.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah last November launched six major projects in Makkah, including the SR12 billion Jabal Omar Residential Towers. Spread over 230,000 square meters, the project includes five-star hotels, commercial centers and prayer facilities for 200,000 worshippers. Economists say new real estate projects around the Grand Mosque will draw investments in excess of SR100 billion.
