1 of 4 | A rendering is shown of the King Salman’s Gate complex to be built in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Image courtesy of RUA AlHaram AlMakki Company
Saudi Arabian Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced a new multi-use development in the Muslim holy city of Mecca.
The area, called King Salman’s Gate, will be 2,965 acres of floor area in the central area of the city, according to a press release.
King Salman’s Gate will enhance access to Masjid al-Haram, the Great Mosque of Mecca, which is just next door. It will continue “elevating service quality, and enriching every visitor’s journey, in alignment with the goals of the Pilgrim Experience Program.”
The center will offer residential, hospitality, commercial and cultural experiences, the press release said. It will have about 900,000 indoor and outdoor praying spaces.
Mecca and the Great Mosque are the sites of the annual hajj or pilgrimage. About 2 million Muslims visit Mecca for the hajj each year. Islam requires every Muslim who is physically capable of completing the hajj at least once in their lifetime to do so.
The center will have “seamless” connection to public transportation and ensure easy access and comfort, officials say, while paying homage to Mecca’s identity. It also will restore and develop about 4.7 acres of heritage sites, preserving the area’s cultural and historical legacy. The project will contribute to Saudi Vision 2030’s goals of economic transformation by generating more than 300,000 jobs by 2036, the press release said.
The King Salman Gate project is being developed by Rou’a Al-Haram Al-Makki Company, a Public Investment Fund subsidiary.
