CAIRO — Saudi Arabia is crafting plans to expand Al-Masjid Al-Haram, Islam's holiest shrine, and redesigning the holy city of Makkah in a major project that aims to change the face of the holy city.
"The main objective of the design studies is to enrich our discourse on how we should address the future architecture of the Haram and its growth," a source close to the project told the British weekly Architects' Journal.
Saudi Arabia has assigned 18 of the world's best architects with making designs to "establish a new architectural vision" for the 356,800m2 Al-Masjid Al-Haram complex.
"These design exercises in addition to other investigations will be subject to an exhibition to his Majesty King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz by the end of the month," the source said.
The top-secret plans focus on expanding Al-Masjid Al-Haram and its surrounding area.
Under the plans, the capacity of the holy mosque will be increased in the first phase to cater for 1.5 million worshippers from only 900,000 at present.
The mosque's capacity will later go up to three million worshippers with the completion of several phases over the following five to 10 years.
Al-Masjid al-Haram is Islam's holiest shrine and home to the Ka`bah, the direction Muslims take during prayers.
The plans also envisage 'revisiting the whole area of the central district' of Makkah.
The Saudi British Bank, one of the kingdom's biggest lenders, has said that £15 billion will be invested by foreign and Saudi companies in construction and infrastructure in Makkah by 2012.
It said about 130 skyscrapers will be established, including the Abraj Al Bait Towers, which is to be one of the world’s biggest buildings.
Millions of Muslims from around the world pour into Makkah every year to perform hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam.
Every able-bodied adult Muslim — who can financially afford the trip — must perform hajj at least once in a lifetime.