Tracing the history of the Grand Mosque’s expansion

With the numbers of hajj pilgrims increasing year on year, the Saudi government has authorized expansion projects that will make the journey to the Grand Mosque easier and less stressful for visiting Muslims.

Millions of Muslims arrive in Makkah to perform the annual hajj pilgrimage every year.

Over the past decade, the government has spent billions of dollars expanding the Grand Mosque.

The expansion projects in the Grand Mosque, known as the Masjid al-Haram, began around 88 years ago, when Saudi King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman began the initiative.

Infographic: The grand mosque

infographic grand mosque

Dubbed by Makkah’s governor as the biggest project in the kingdom’s history, the Grand Mosque is undergoing its largest expansion project to date, under the leadership of King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz.

The project aims to increase the mosque’s capacity so it will be able to accommodate around two million worshippers at a time.

It also involves the construction of bridges and pedestrian pathways to facilitate the movement of worshippers.

The expansion project also aims to provide new health centers, water and electricity stations and civil defense offices in the mosque complex.