Sunday, 06 January 2008: JEDDAH - King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has approved the expansion of the northern areas of the Grand Mosque in Makkah.
Announcing the decision here Saturday, Prince Miteb Bin Abdul-Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Chairman of Makkah, Madina and the Holy Places Development Authority, said the expansion includes adding 380-meter courtyard, more pedestrian tunnels and a service station.
Buildings existing on the north and northwest of the Grand Mosque would be expropriated for this project. An amount of SR6 billion has been allocated for compensating the owners, Prince Miteb said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). He said about 1,000 buildings would be acquired for the expansion project aimed at increasing the accommodation capacity of the Grand Mosque.A committee from different government agencies would estimate the value of the expropriated buildings.
The Saudi Bin Ladin Group has been assigned to carry out the expansion work.
In recent years, the government of Saudi Arabia has spent more than SR70 billion on the expansion of the Two Holy Mosques. The expansion of Safa and Marwa was completed this Haj to allow more pilgrims to perform Sa'y in ease.
The tradition of expanding the Two Holy Mosques dates back to 638 AD when the increasing number of conversions to Islam led the second Caliph Omar Bin Al-Khattab to develop the site.
When the late King Abdul Aziz established Saudi Arabia, one of his primary concerns was to pay due attention to the Grand Mosque in Makkah. In 1344 Hijra, he ordered the first expansion. In 1375, the late King Saud ordered expansion of the Grand Mosque to have a capacity of 313,000 worshippers.
In 1409 Hijra, the late King Fahd laid the foundation of the third expansion consisting of three stories, including the basement, the first story, the second story and the roof.
By Mohammed Al-Kinani
© The Saudi Gazette 2008
