Aqarat Real Estate Development Company, an Omar Kassem Alesayi Holding Group subsidiary, headquartered in Jeddah, signed a cooperation agreement with Gensler to design its new project in the Jabal Omar district of Makkah. The agreement was signed on July 29 at a special ceremony in London.
The new project in Jabal Omar has been inspired by the cultural and religious importance of the holy city. The project is located on a land area of 2,600 square meters, less than 700 meters from the Grand Mosque in Makkah, where millions of Muslims from all over the world gather to perform Hajj and Umrah.
The project, which has not yet been named, consists of a 35-story mixed-use high-rise tower situated on a six-story podium with a total built-up area of more than 55,000 square meters. The development program consists of a luxury hotel with approximately 340 rooms and 180 luxury residential units consisting of studios and one- to three-bedroom apartments, in addition to restaurants, shops, additional amenities and parking space.
The tower will be the tallest in its area, allowing guests to enjoy clear views of the Grand Mosque.
The signing ceremony was held in Gensler’s London office and attended by Mohammed Alesayi, board member of AlEsayi Group; Hany Habashy, CEO of AlEsayi Group; Hatem Alesayi, deputy CEO of Aqarat; Diane Hoskins, co-CEO of Gensler; and Richard Hill, president of J. Richard Hill and Co.
The project supports and achieves one of the most important objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, which is to host more Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, provide easy access to the Grand Mosque, improve the quality of services offered, and enrich the spiritual and cultural experience for pilgrims. The project will also contribute to attracting new investments in the Kingdom.
Mohammed AlEsayi said: “This project and its location have special importance for me, my family, our group, and our employees. Our design goal is to combine authenticity and modernity to provide pilgrims and visitors with a sense of calmness and serenity while visiting Makkah and the Grand Mosque. Our design vision is to celebrate the rich uniqueness of Islamic architecture and play a great role in achieving the objectives of the comprehensive development plan of Makkah Al-Mukarramah to become a modern city and an inspiring model for the Islamic world.”
Habashy added: “Contributing to building a sustainable environment and society is one of the most important values and strategies of AlEsayi Group. Therefore, we are keenly focused on enhancing a sustainable environment through this project. The main goal for our Jabal Omar project has always been to add long-term value for our investors, customers and Makkah visitors by creating an iconic multi-use tower and that’s why we chose Gensler to design this unique project.”
Abdulhadi Al-Rashidi, CEO of Aqarat Real Estate Development Company, expressed happiness at the signing of the contract with Gensler to design a distinguished architectural tower, which he said is one of the company’s most important projects.
He said the Makkah project is consistent with Aqarat’s innovative residential, commercial, entertainment and services projects in the Kingdom.
Gensler’s Hoskins said: “We are humbled to be designing a project on a site that holds such significance for millions of Muslim people across the world. This is an important project for our local and global design teams to partner with Aqarat. We are ensuring great measures are taken to blend into the holy site and to create a building which residents and visitors can experience for generations.”
