All-round development of Haram green-lighted

MAKKAH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has launched five projects for the expansion of the Holy Mosque of Makkah, which is in its third phase and includes buildings, tunnels and a ring road. The main entrance of the new building of the mosque will comprise three gates with two shutters. It will have three floors with a floor space of 320,000 sq. meters to accommodate 300,000 worshippers and the ground area of 175,000 sq. meters to accommodate 330,000 worshippers. The project includes five pedestrian tunnels that will connect the Holy Mosque with Al-Hajoun and Jarwal with a total length of 5,300 meters. There will also be a central services complex to accommodate a power station, emergency electricity generators, water cooling facilities and fire extinguishers. A 4,600-meter ring road, which will be constructed in the central area, will consist of bridges for movement from the central area to the exit area through three pathways. “This historic expansion includes 1,470,000 sq. meters. The Grand Mosque accommodates more than 1,600,000 worshipers with 78 gates on the ground floor surrounding the expansion building,” said Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, head of the presidency of Two Holy Mosques.   Arab News