JEDDAH — In view of the growing number of Umra and Haj pilgrim, the capacity of the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah is planned to be increased by 35 per cent, according to sources close to the project.The sources said that the Makkah Development Authority, the Makkah Municipality and the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques’ Affairs are currently conducting intensive studies concerning the expansion project to be completed by 2020. The Makkah Development Authority has approved the master plan for the development of the city’s central region. The plan aims at accommodating three million residents and eight million pilgrims.
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Plans are also under way to air-condition the entire built-up area of the Mosque. In recent years, the Saudi government has spent more than SR70 billion on the expansion of the Two Holy Mosques. Each mosque can now hold more than a million worshippers at a time.
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According to Habib Zain Al Abidine, Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, some 25 new real estate projects are being carried out in the centre of Makkah. The total cost will exceed SR100 billion. Sami Barhameen, secretary-general of the Makkah Development Authority, said the development projects to be implemented around the Grand Mosque were designed to enable worshippers to follow the imam at the Grand Mosque during prayers. The projects will not affect the underground flow of Zamzam water.
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