Saudi Arabia has announced a huge expansion project outside the Grand Mosque in Mecca, involving the construction of tall towers near the holy site for the purpose of prayer, accommodation and hospitality.
The development, to be named “King Salman Gate” after the reigning monarch, was officially launched on Wednesday.
Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and de facto leader, announced that the project would span up to 12 million square metres.
It will offer “residential, hospitality, commercial and cultural experiences with capacity for around 900,000 indoor and outdoor praying spaces”, the official Saudi Press Agency said.
Computer-generated renderings show towers of varying heights overlooking the Grand Mosque, the holiest site in Islam, with peace doves flying through the air.
Alongside the renderings, a video was released by the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, imagining what the development may look like.
It shows shiny skyscrapers towering over the area, and pilgrims praying towards the Kaaba from indoor and outdoor spaces inside the new development.
“In this place, hearts unite and share living moments full of delight. For within each moment, a story unfolds, bound by a common reverence and rituals to uphold,” a narrator states in the video.
“Rooted in heritage, its essence prevails, tempered with whispers of peace, inviting you to exhale. A celebration of culture, old and new.”
New mega projects
The project will be developed by RUA AlHaram AlMakki Co, an arm of the sovereign wealth fund.
It is estimated that as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 economic diversification project, King Salman Gate will generate over 300,000 jobs over the next decade. No further details were given about how much the project will cost or how long construction will take.
In recent months, Riyadh has rowed back several of its mega projects due to high costs and falling oil prices.
However, it has pressed ahead with commercial projects and expansions in Mecca and Medina.
The kingdom said it aims to welcome more than 30 million foreign pilgrims a year in the holy cities by 2030.
Unlike other ambitious projects aimed at foreign tourists, like The Line and Sindalah, Riyadh knows that Mecca and Medina will always attract international visitors due to religious obligations around the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage.
In Islam, all able-bodied Muslims who are financially able to do so should perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.
The smaller Umrah pilgrimage, which can be performed at any time of year, is not obligatory but also holds religious importance for Muslims.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has loosened visa requirements around Umrah, and it has become more cost-effective for pilgrims from the global south.
The new expansion may prove controversial, particularly due to the apparent size of some of the new buildings.
The Royal Clock Tower, opened in Mecca in 2012, adjacent to the Grand Mosque, is the fourth-tallest building in the world.
It has been criticised by some Muslims for its huge size overshadowing the importance of the Kaaba, as well as for housing ostentatious and luxurious apartments and shops.
The Saudi government was also condemned for destroying the Ajyad Fortress – an Ottoman-era citadel – to make way for the tower.
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