08 May 2008
Dubai: Fairmont Hotels and Resorts plans to operate a new hotel in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The hotel is scheduled to open in September.
The Makkah Clock Royal Tower hotel will be among the world's tallest towers with 76 storeys 577 metres high. Its unique and distinctive features will ensure a landmark presence, including a 40-metre clock, visible 17 kilometres away, and more than five times larger than Big Ben.
The Makkah clock will announce daily prayers to the Muslim world and the Lunar Observation Centre and Islamic Museum will serve to protect the heritage for future generations.
The hotel will be the focal point of the iconic Abraj Al Bait complex, part of the King Abdul Aziz Endowment Project.
The project's mandate is to upgrade the precincts of the Two Holy Mosques. The complex includes seven towers with a total floor space of 15.6 million square feet and adjacent to the Masjid Al Haram, the holiest site in Islam.
The property is Fairmont's seventh addition to its Middle East and Africa portfolio.
Housing 1,005 guest-rooms and suites, the hotel will feature Fairmont Gold, the company's exclusive 'hotel within a hotel', and numerous dining outlets.
The property will welcome pilgrims and guests with a variety of leisure and business facilities, including unrivalled conference and banquet facilities that will accommodate over 1,500 attendees.
The hotel's 76 elevators will provide comfortable transfers during high occupancy periods and calls to prayer.
The project is being developed by Saudi Bin Ladin Company.
By Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2008. All rights reserved.
