Mecca takes on massive construction to accommodate pilgrims
The Muslim holy city's need for additional space became tragically clear to the world after hundreds of pilgrims were killed in a stampede last year.
Aerial view of the Kaaba at the Grand mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia Sept. 6.
Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters
In order to accommodate the growing number of people making the聽pilgrimage聽to Mecca, required at least once of all Muslims who can afford it, Saudi Arabia is in the midst of enormous expansion projects in the holy city.
Most projects, from a new railway to a metro system, are expected to be completed by 2020, though a new King Abdulaziz International Airport and expansion of the Grand Mosque should be finished within the next two years, Mecca鈥檚 mayor told Reuters Friday.
"All of these projects are being developed to serve our guests and accommodate more of them," said Mecca鈥檚 mayor,聽.
The $100 billion expansion is part of the kingdom鈥檚 attempt to grow religious tourism in order to diversify its economy beyond oil, which has faced record low prices in recent years. The need for the extra space became tragically clear after a stampede of people completing Hajj, or pilgrimage, last year killed at least 719 people and injured 863 others in Mina, a village outside of Mecca.
Last year, 2 million Muslims from around the world descended on Mecca, doubling its population and crowding into the city and surrounding towns in temperatures that reached 110 degrees F. Some international governments, including Iran's, accused Saudi officials of incompetence in their crowd-control measures.
In reaction to the incident, King Salman of Saudi Arabia聽聽"to improve the level of organization and management of the movement" of pilgrims.
Space issues should improve after expansion in Mecca is completed, say Saudi authorities. The Grand Mosque, the site of Islam's most sacred space, will be able to accommodate 2.2 million worshippers, up from 600,000 today. About 400,000 people per hour will be able to circle the sacred Ka'aba at the center of the mosque, Mayor Bar told Reuters.
The Jamarat bridge 鈥撀爐he site of聽last year鈥檚 stampede聽and a pilgrimage site where visitors throw stones at pillars that symbolize the聽devil 鈥撀爓ill be able to handle up to half a million pilgrims per day, or 3 million over the course of the holy week.
The city is also building dozens of new hotels and the world's biggest clock tower, as well as expanding transportation routes across the city, say officials.
This report contains material from Reuters.