Mecca is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia and the holiest city according to Islam. It is 70 km (43 mi) inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley 277 m (909 ft) above sea level. Its metropolitan population in 2022 was 2.4 million, making it the third-most populated city in Saudi Arabia after Riyadh and Jeddah. Around 44.5% of the population are Saudi citizens and around 55.5% are Muslim foreigners from other countries. Pilgrims more than triple the population number every year during the Ḥajj pilgrimage, observed in the twelfth Hijri month of Dhūl-Ḥijjah. With over 10.8 million international visitors in 2023, Mecca was one of the ten most visited cities in the world.
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. The current form of the metropolis emerged as an offshoot of the eponymous walled town following the dismantling of its defensive fortifications in the 1950s, after which the city underwent several phases of expansion and urbanization.
Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud is a Saudi Arabian billionaire businessman, investor, philanthropist, and a House of Saud royal. In 2008, he was listed on Time magazine's Time 100, an annual list of the hundred most influential people in the world. Al Waleed is a grandson of Abdulaziz, the first king of Saudi Arabia, and of Riad Al Solh, Lebanon's first prime minister.
The Ajyad Fortress was an Ottoman citadel which stood on a hill overlooking the Grand Mosque of Mecca, in what is now Saudi Arabia. Built in the late 18th century, it was demolished by the Saudi government in 2002 for commercial development of the Abraj Al Bait, sparking outcry from Turkey and other concerned Muslims of the world.
Emaar Properties is an Emirati real estate development company located in the United Arab Emirates. The two largest shareholders are Dubai ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the UAE's sovereign wealth fund Investment Corporation of Dubai.
Al Faisaliah Tower is a pyramid-shaped commercial skyscraper and mixed-use complex located in the al-Olaya district of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The 267-metre-high office tower, the centerpiece of the Foster + Partners development, it is notable for having been the first skyscraper built in Saudi Arabia, and for the monumental stained glass wall of its lobby, designed by architectural artist Brian Clarke in collaboration with Norman Foster. It was the largest building in Saudi Arabia between 2000 and 2002 and currently is the seventh tallest building in the country, after Kingdom Centre, Burj Rafal and Abraj Al Bait. The tower is named after King Faisal bin Abdulaziz, and presently ranks as the 325th tallest building in the world.
Saudi Binladen Group, known as Binladen Group Global Holding Company since 2019, is a multinational construction conglomerate headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In 2011, the Saudi Binladen Group signed a US$1.23 billion contractual agreement to construct the tallest building in the world, Jeddah Tower in Jeddah. They are also party to a US$3.4 billion agreement to construct the Doha Metro located in Doha. The conglomerate comprises an estimated 537 companies. The group's founder was Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden, the father of Osama bin Laden.
The Pearl Island in Doha, Qatar, is an artificial island with an area of nearly four square kilometers. It is the first land in Qatar to be available for freehold ownership by foreign nationals. As of 2018, there were 27,000 residents.
The Clock Towers, is a government-owned complex of seven skyscraper hotels in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. These towers are a part of the King Abdulaziz Endowment Project that aims to modernize the city in catering to its pilgrims. The central hotel tower, which is the Makkah Clock Royal Tower, is the fourth-tallest building and sixth-tallest freestanding structure in the world. The clock tower contains the Clock Tower Museum that occupies the top four floors of the tower.
King Abdullah Economic City is a planned city in Rabigh Governorate, Makkah Province, Saudi Arabia. It was announced as a megaproject in 2005 by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. It is located in close proximity to Thuwal, almost 100 km (62 mi) north of Jeddah.
Al Rajhi Bank Tower is a 205-m commercial skyscraper in the al-Muruj neighborhood of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The project was launched in 2006 and completed in 2017. Designs for the sail-shaped tower have been drawn up by architects at Atkins. The tower is being built on behalf of the Al Rajhi family and will be used for commercial purposes. The family, considered by most in Saudi Arabia, as the country's wealthiest non-royals, is among the world's leading philanthropists.
Jeddah Tower or Burj Jeddah, previously known as Kingdom Tower, is a skyscraper construction project in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It is planned to be the first 1-kilometre-tall (3,281 ft) building and would be the world's tallest building or structure upon completion, standing 180 m (591 ft) taller than the Burj Khalifa. Located in the north side of Jeddah, it is the centrepiece of the Jeddah Economic City project. After almost five years of inactivity, development work on the project resumed in 2023.
Arabtec Holding PJSC, Dubai's most heavily traded and largest construction group in GCC together with its subsidiaries, provided construction services for residential, commercial, oil and gas, infrastructure, power, facilities management, and property development sectors in the United Arab Emirates and internationally. It operated through Construction; Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing; Oil & Gas, Infrastructure and Power; and other segments. The company was involved in the construction of high-rise towers, buildings, and residential villas, as well as drainage, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing contracting, and civil and infrastructure construction works. It also engaged in real estate investment, development, leasing, and management activities. In addition, the company manufactured precast panels and steel structures, as well as ready-mixed concrete
The destruction of heritage sites associated with early Islam is an ongoing phenomenon that has occurred mainly in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, particularly around the two holiest cities of Islam, Mecca and Medina. The demolition has focused on mosques, burial sites, homes and historical locations associated with the Islamic prophet Muhammad, his companions, and many of the founding personalities of early Islamic history by the Saudi government. In Saudi Arabia, many of the demolitions have officially been part of the continued expansion of the Masjid al-Haram at Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina and their auxiliary service facilities in order to accommodate the ever-increasing number of Muslims performing the pilgrimage (hajj).
Omrania and Associates, also known as Omrania, is an international architectural, engineering, and urban planning firm based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Founded in 1973, it specializes in the design of contextual and high-performance design projects.
King Abdullah Financial District is a mixed-use financial district located in the al-Aqeeq neighbourhood of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Managed by the King Abdullah Financial District Development and Management Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Kingdom's Public Investment Fund. The district was previously being managed by the Rayadah Investment Corporation on behalf of the Pension Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The district is the largest LEED Platinum certified mixed-use business centre in the world.
Masjid al-Haram, also known as the Sacred Mosque or the Great Mosque of Mecca, is considered to be the most significant mosque in Islam. It encloses the vicinity of the Kaaba in Mecca, in the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia. It is among the pilgrimage sites associated with the Hajj, which every Muslim must perform at least once in their lives if able. It is also the main site for the performance of ʿUmrah, the lesser pilgrimage that can be undertaken any time of the year. The rites of both pilgrimages include circumambulating the Kaaba within the mosque. The Great Mosque includes other important significant sites, such as the Black Stone, the Zamzam Well, Maqam Ibrahim, and the hills of Safa and Marwa.
Raffles Makkah Palace is a hotel located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The 18-story hotel is a 5-star luxury hotel operated by Raffles Hotels & Resorts, which is under the Fairmont Hotels and Resorts corporate umbrella. The property is located directly adjacent to Masjid al-Haram, the Grand Mosque.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
