RIYADH, 1 May 2008 — Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) headed by Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal that holds 55 percent controlling interest in Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has announced a new hotel in Makkah, scheduled to open this year.
The hotel is the grandest and most prestigious hotel in the Middle East. The extensive project, called Abraj Al-Bait, will feature a five-star Fairmont property with over 1,000 guestrooms.
The complex will also include a selection of residential offerings as well as retail space, restaurants and extensive convention facilities.
The hotel is the focal point of the iconic Abraj Al-Bait Complex which is part of the King Abdul Aziz Endowment Project whose mandate is to upgrade the precincts of the Two Holy Mosques.
The complex includes seven towers with a total floor space equal to 15.6 million square feet and adjacent to the Grand Mosque.
The property joins Fairmont’s worldwide collection of iconic luxury hotels, and is the seventh addition to the company’s Middle East and Africa portfolio.
The hotel, a 76-story tower at 577 meters high, will be among the world’s tallest and its unique and distinctive features will ensure a landmark presence. Such features include a 40-meter clock, visible from 17 kilometers away and 40 times larger than Big Ben in London.
The Royal Clock will announce daily prayers to the Muslim world and the Lunar Observation Center and Islamic Museum will serve to protect the heritage for future generations.