Each year, millions of Muslim pilgrims flock to Mecca (Islam’s holiest city), in order to participate in the religious ceremonies of Umra and Haj. In an effort to accommodate a growing number of pilgrims (six million pilgrims visit Mecca each year), King Abdullah has announced plans to expand the Grand Mosque – the main arena for religious pilgrims and holder of the Kaaba (built by Abraham and Ishmael as a house of worship, and considered to be the centre of the Muslim world).
The Mosque’s capacity will rise to 2 million pilgrims following the expansion.
In order to improve travel and accommodations for the visiting pilgrims, further construction projects are underway in the Holy cities of Mecca and Medina. These projects include high-rise skyscrapers, and a new high-speed railway that will link the two holy cities to Jeddah, the entry point for millions of pilgrims.
Source: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/saudi-king-launches-21-3bn-grand-mosque-project-416474.html
