The Prophet Mohammed Mosque in the Saudi holy city of Medina on November 12, 2009. Islam’s Prophet Mohammed is buried in Medina’s landmark mosque, which is Islam’s second holiest shrine after Mecca. (MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/Getty Images)
Medina, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Governor of Medina region, Prince Faisal bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, announced the construction of a state-of-the-art “pilgrim city” which will be able house up to 200,000 pilgrims who come to perform the hajj or umrah pilgrimages.
The city will be located on an area of more than 1.6 million square meters, close to the Prophet’s Mosque. The city will include a transport station, train line, 400-bed hospital, hotels and shelter.
“Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, has instructed the Finance Minister to implement the project,” Medina Governor Prince Faisal bin Salman said.
The state-owned Public Investment Fund will finance the project, which also includes a transportation hub and government offices.
A number of hotels and furnished apartments will also be constructed as part of the state-of-the-art city, said Prince Faisal.
The Medina Governor expressed his thanks and appreciation to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, for approving this massive construction project.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is boosting its services and facilities in Medina due to an increasing number of Muslim pilgrims visiting the holy city. An estimated 6 million pilgrims travelled to Mecca and Medina for hajj or umrah last year.
The city will be located close to the Prophet’s Mosque, the second of the holy mosques in Saudi Arabia after the Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca. The Prophet’s Mosque has increased more than five-fold since 1981, and is today one hundred times the size it was when it was first established, being able to accommodate more than 500,000 worshippers at any one time.