Saudi Grand Mosque's mataaf floors ready Sept 2015
Construction of the third floor out of four has been completed, it was found
Saudi Arabia's Grand Mosque will have four floors of mataaf (the area where Haj and Umrah pilgrims circle the Kaaba during the tawaf ritual) by early September 2015.
The construction of the third floor has been completed, said Sultan Al-Qurashi, projects manager at the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques.
It spans an area of 7.6ha, he said, adding that construction is going on for the ceiling, local daily Saudi Gazette reported.
“We have increased the capacity of the mataaf in the Grand Mosque. It was the third phase of the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Expansion Project. Pilgrims this Haj season will have four floors to circumambulate the Kaaba,” said Al-Qurashi.
He said the Grand Mosque has the capacity to accommodate around 114,000 pilgrims an hour.
“All construction work in the Grand Mosque will stop on 9 September, 2015, to allow pilgrims to enter the Grand Mosque and perform the rituals comfortably.
"Work will resume on 14 October, 2015 to construct the three main gates,” said Al-Qurashi.
“We also have ramps for pilgrims with disabilities to facilitate the movement of wheelchairs,” he added.
