Costing SR6.5 billion, the new railway has the capacity to transport 72,000 pilgrims an hour. Nine stations have been constructed in Arafat, Mina and Muzdalifah, each with three stations.
Full article here.
Every Hajj exclusive facilities are available for those seeking comfort and luxury. Pilgrimage made easy.
This is the first year the completed Jamarat Complex is fully functional. A SR4.2 billion ‘architectural marvel’
Check this site for photos of the amazing roof structure and this thread for an extensive photographic and video collection of the project over the years.
19,000 medics employed to serve pilgrims.
3,200 buses leave Madinah on one day.
Other ongoing projects:
The Makkah Clock and Abraj Al Bait project.
Air conditioning in Masjid al-Haram with 135,000 tons of refrigeration capacity — enough to cool 27,000 homes.
The Masjid al-Haram extension. Search this thread from Skyscrapercity for updates and sources for the above photos.
SubhanAllah…billions for millions of potential pilgrims! Thoughts?
JUMA’AH MUBARAK!
All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.
As salaamu alaykum wa Rahmat Allah wa Barakatuh and welcome back to Madinah my dear sister!
Thoughts you ask?
I would have felt right in my heart and mind if I had read billions and millions have been spent to help Muslims all over the world. I would have felt better about the train if I didn’t know that a remarkable amount of workers died on that project and the salaries for the workers was a shameful pittance. I would have been more impressed if the pilgrims were coming to carefully preserved and restored, original historical structures and could see how our beloved Prophet, sal Allahu alayhi wa salaam, lived. I believe that the simplicity of that would have been far more beneficial and life-changing than fancy clocks and “Royal Floors.”
When I see all this, I think all of these words : israaf (wasteful extravagance), khasara (a loss), kibr (pride and arrogance), and riya’a (showing off to be seen). This has been Written by Allah, but every inch of me feels that this is just a huge step closer to the description of the final day.
What to do in such a situation? We pray for the benefit and good in those “costly modernisations” and seek refuge from all their harm – ameen.
Another Saudi Fail.
The industrialization of Hajj…this is all dunya man. Disgusting. This isn’t a highway. There is no reminder of God in slabs of concrete. When I see that clocktower- I think London, not Ibrahim nor Hajar. Are we doing this for us? Or for non-Muslims? Isn’t this blind imitation of the kuffar? Alhamdulillah, that at least Masjid al-Aqsa is saved from this (even if it is due to oppression).
Lets put our faith in Allah, not technology. I have a feeling it will all come crumbling down. Perhaps the reason why Allah will send earthquakes to Hijaz before Imam Mahdi comes?
Allahu Alam.
And lastly, there MUST be another way. To say there isn’t is to put your faith in technology, not Allah!
assalamu alaikum sister
mere extravagance. distracting. we all come to mecca seeking sakeenah,but all these developements bring pain.May Allah save us from the fitnah and increase our iman.
salam alaikoum sister,
thank you so much for all these news about Makkah. and thanks sisters and brothers for your thoughtsful words. mashaallah, that’s all I can say, and I would love to cry. I am sad about what our ummah does with the beautiful heritage of Ibrahim (as). I would like to cry if I see all this modern dunya stuff that keeps no place for humble thankfulness and remembrance of the real spirit of Hajj. mashaallah, all signs of the coming of Joum al Quiam, mashallah, gold and skyscrapers, copying non-muslim-style, etc…. may Allah give us guidance and taqwa and protect us from our own nafs. ameen
As salaamu alaykum wa Rahmat Allah wa Barakatuh
I am really impressed with all the development that is going on in the Holy Lands as this is necessary due to the huge ever increasing volume of Pilgrims every year. These developments are to make it easier for the pilgrim to carry out their duties. Its not going to be King Abdullah or even Barack Obama traveling on the mono rail, its going to be the Hujjaj. Its for their benefit.
I bet if the Saudis hadn’t undertaken this project, everyone would have been saying, “look at them, they have huge oil wealth, but dont do anything for the pilgrims.” I have heard people complain of about the Jeddah Airport of how it lacks facilities etc, and alhamdollilah, the Saudis are taking care of this also. They are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. May Allah give a Long and Healthy life to King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz and reward him for his great vision and service of the Hujjaj. Ameen
wasalaam
p.s. Sister where is the excavation taking place near Masjid an Nabavi SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. Is it anywhere near the Malik al Fahad Gate?
Wa ‘alaikumus Salam Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu,
Ameen thumma Ameen to all Adiyah. We all are certainly in need of uplifting and the continuing blessings of Hidayah.
The strategies taken by the authorities and the attitudes towards ‘development’ in the Haramain inevitably draws diverse reactions and opinions. What seems to be the main complaint is not so much that more is needed to be done for pilgrims, but the extravagance and the future vision for Masjid al-Haram to be able to accommodate FIVE MILLION worshipers!!! No matter how elaborate the extensions may be this figure is unrealistic given the poor infrastructure surrounding the Haram. This is what needs immediate attention, not squeezing more and more in. I cannot imagine 5 million being there when the majority want to be doing Umrah and Tawaf which can only facilitate a fraction of that number.
Another issue is the style of buildings being erected. They need not be so elaborate when all who visit are here for Ibadah, not focusing on five star living that detracts from the essence of the Deen.
As I walk around the new constructions I marvel at the architectural beauty of them, but they are crammed so close together that the finer details are lost as well as having added millions to the overall cost of the buildings, and hence the investors want to recoup that outlay from the pilgrims. The skyrocketing costs have become astronomical whereby the average person is unable to even contemplate a journey here.
Dear Bashrat the excavation you see in the previous post is on the edge of the eastern courtyard where preparations for a transport hub is underway. A similar underground facility to the underground hub in Makkah for cars and buses to drop and pick pilgrims is planned with the courtyard eventually extending over this area. The hotel the photos were taken from is one of many marked for demolition according to previously released plans where, Allahu ‘Alum the courtyard is to extend way beyond the buildings constructed there. This is one of the criticisms regarding planning…many elaborate buildings are to be demolished due to the need to accommodate more worshipers and this is seen as a waste on many fronts. Also there are several completed but unoccupied residential hotels in the CBD due to unresolved conflicts regarding payments and regulations…as well as major road works that have sat for years without problems being solved making it very difficult for the smooth flow of traffic especially during the peak seasons. And then there is the Second Ring Road, which has only been opened about two years ago and which now is undergoing major changes. With insight these situations could have been avoided and saved millions financially, not to mention the labour factor, the inconvenience and the waste of time. Time we have been warned of.
Allahu ‘alum, maybe these are signs of the End of Time. May we all be far more diligent in our worship, in knowing how to face current tests that seem to be crashing upon us with such speed, in our Du’a for the Ummah, for the Haramain. May our focus be on the Al Makhlooq the Creator, and not on His creation, He is our only salvation. Ameen.
Wassalamu alaikum
As salaamu alaykum dear sister!
Ameen, ameen, ameen!
You raised the point that I’ve been considering for years now: why make surrounding facilities for millions of worshipers, when it is simply untenable for that amount of people to be in one place at one time? Even in Madinah, we are in no way prepared or equipped to host the millions that come here during the Hajj season and the hundreds of hajj groups each week. We have water shortages, serious sanitation issues, poor infrastructure, and totally inadequate roads and transportation. Makkah is a huge magnification of that problem.
Quality is important: the quality of time spend in worship without distractions, the quality of the Umrah and Hajj. The quality is seriously compromised by the huge crowds, let alone the glamorous surroundings. It is beautiful to see millions of worshipers from all over the globe walking together around the kaaba, mashaa’Allah. However, to keep things within safe and healthy limits would turn the whole experience into something far more meaningful.
Everything is sent from Allah for a reason, and ultimately it should guide us to turn to Him and focus on what is important. The “grand construction” may seem like folly in some ways, but all praise and thanks to Allah, it makes many of us see what our priorities should be and averts us from the extravagances that otherwise might sabotage our aakhirah. All thanks to Allah, our Cherisher and The Most Perfect Provider of our Needs!
Wa ‘alaikumus Salam Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu,
Dear Sister Mai,
Ameen thumma Ameen!
we must try to meet up soon and continue this important discussion and share avenues that assist us to correct our relationship with Allah Ta’ala, with the hope that He in turn will correct our relationship with the creation, Insha’Allah!
Wassalamu alaikum
Aslawalekum..very very good makkah madina and very very thenk saudi govrment and aal minister and aal pipul from flat no-108 f.i.dhingra apartment lalkuna Lucknow.u.p.INDiya…