e!Phenomenal expansion of Masjid-e-Haram

Phenomenal expansion of Masjid-e-Haram:
KING Abdullah on Friday launched the gigantic project for the expansion of the Masjid-e-Haram, which will increase the mosque’s capacity to more than 2.5 million worshippers and cost SR80 billion. The King also inspected models of the expansion project as well as other development projects implemented in Makkah and other holy sites for the convenience of the pilgrims.King Abdullah dedicated the new expansion to the Islamic world. We have been repeatedly saying in these columns that leaving aside every act of the King in the service of Islam and humanity or economic assistance to the needy Muslim countries, only these fabulous services for the visiting Haj and Umra pilgrims earns lot of prayers and respect to the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques. The expansion’s main gate would be named after King Abdullah and will have two minarets, bringing the mosque’s total number of minarets to 11. The new project, covering 400,000 sq. meters in the northwest and northeast of the mosque, is being considered as project of the century. There are also plans to expand the mataf (the circumambulation areas around the Holy Kaaba), provide air-conditioning for all parts of the Grand Mosque and the two schemes would be carried out shortly along with the new Haram expansion project and completed in a year and a half. Other important projects inaugurated by King Abdullah included the Makkah Tower Clock, considered the largest in the world; the newly expanded masaa (the running course between Safa and Marwa); the Jamrat Bridge complex in Mina and the Mashair Railway linking the holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifa as well as the sunshades around the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. All these initiatives taken by King Abdullah in the service of Islam and the Ummah are highly laudable and we pray that Almighty Allah may Reward him for these services.