The project will cover 18 kilometers and will include eight cabins in each direction. The metro will ease the traffic in the holy city, especially during Haj season.
Tarboush, who is also the director of the central administration for developmental projects in Madinah province, commented on the issue of non-Muslim Chinese engineers who were caught in Makkah by members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.
“This was a gross violation of regulations, which were made clear to all non-Muslim foreign workers. They were told not to enter Makkah because it is a holy place off-limits to non-Muslims,” he said, adding that all workers were told that they would be deported if they sneaked into the holy city.
“We are constantly observing the situation to ensure these instructions are fully adhered to,” Tarboush said.
Four non-Muslim Chinese engineers were caught by members of the commission in the city’s Al-Aziziyah district. When they saw the Commission members, the workers hid in a parking lot in front of Umm Al-Qura University.
The engineers explained that they were not Muslim when asked why they were not attending Isha prayers in the mosque.
A spokesman for the commission said the four men were handed over to officers at the Al-Taneem Police Station, which is outside the Haram boundary.
