By IINA,
Makkah : The first phase of the Masa’a (area for the ritual of Sa’i between the hills of Safa and Marwa) Expansion at the Haram Mosque is nearing completion. More than 3,000 construction workers are giving finishing touches to the project around the clock. The second phase of the project will start implementing after next Haj, said Eng. Abdul Mohsen bin Humeid, director general of projects at the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Haram Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque.
Before the expansion, 44,000 pilgrims were able to perform the ritual of Sa’i every hour. On completion, the number is expected to rise to 118,000 pilgrims per hour.
The Masa’a expansion, which is estimated to cost SR2.985 billion, is part of the largest ever expansion of the Haram Mosque, ordered by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz that will facilitate the accommodation of an additional 500,000 worshippers.
Eng. Abdul Mohsen bin Humeid said that expansion of Masa’a is taking place amid a hot debate among prominent Islamic scholars from within the Kingdom and abroad. Most of the scholars ruled in favor of the expansion as a permissible step to facilitate accommodation of the growing number of pilgrims while some scholars voiced their criticism over the expansion with the argument that the religious ritual of Sa’i shall be strictly restricted to the area between Safa and Marwa hills. Speaking to reporters, Eng. Abdul Mohsen bin Humeid said that the new Mas’a has several new features, including fully-fledged air conditioning, lifts and moving straps, special area for drinking Zamzam, and separate area for wheel chair bound pilgrims.
Temporary entries and exits have been made to help streamline the ritual and a guidance system has been installed to help pilgrims find their way in the Haram, he said. “A large number of lifts has been added to facilitate the speedy entry and exit of pilgrims from the area. The lifts will have doors on both sides so that pilgrims will exit the lifts from one door while other pilgrims will enter the lift from anther door, thus avoiding a crush. The lifts will be able to carry more than two dozen people at a time and will also facilitate entry for the wheelchair-bound pilgrims. There are also moving straps to make it easier for the elderly and the disabled to perform the rituals,” he pointed out.
Eng. Abdul Mohsen bin Humeid recalled that the last expansion of the Masa’a was carried out in 1953. The latest expansion, which started after Haj last year, is expected to take three years. The expansion will include ground, first and second floors. A mezzanine floor will also be added to the structure to add space and thereby reducing the volume of pilgrims at one place. The area is 20 meters wide and 390 meters long. Once the project was completed, the Masa’a area would be expanded from 29,400 square meters to 87,000 square meters. This means almost three-fold increase in the number of pilgrims who will be able to perform Sa’i.