MAKKAH, 20 October 2006 — The giant Jabal Omar real estate project situated close to the Grand Mosque in Makkah will create prayer space for an additional 202,000 worshippers, according to Abdul Rahman Faqeeh, chairman of the constituent committee for Jabal Omar Development Company.
Addressing a press conference here, he said there would be three types of prayer places: Covered and air-conditioned areas for 100,000 worshippers; prayer places inside hotels and flats for 87,000 people; and open plazas for 15,000 people.
Faqeeh said the residential buildings in Jabal Omar would be linked with the sound system in the Haram (the area inside the Grand Mosque) so that its residents would be able to offer prayers there following the imam. “This project is primarily aimed at providing better housing facilities for pilgrims,” he told reporters.
The chairman told Arab News Jabal Omar would have 92 multi-story buildings, 27 five-star and four-star hotels and parking for 12,000 vehicles. He said the project would be completed within ten years.
Last Monday, the Council of Ministers approved the establishment of Jabal Omar Development Company, with a capital of SR6 billion, to carry out the SR12-billion ($3.2 billion) project. The Cabinet also allowed the company to float 30 percent of its shares for public subscription within 30 days. Jabal Omar’s initial public offering will be restricted to Saudis.
Faqeeh said the company has 910 founders including Makkah Construction Company (MCC). MCC paid SR86 million as expenses before the formation, SR218 million on contracts to prepare the area and SR757 million to acquire land. He said the project would help change the face of Makkah’s central region. MCC had put in a lot of efforts over the past 17 years to make Jabal Omar a reality. It has also won approval from the Makkah Development Authority to carry out the project. “All these efforts finally resulted in the Cabinet approval, said Faqeeh. He said German, Malaysian, Saudi, Arab and American experts had taken part in revising the designs and plans for the project.
Faqeeh, who is a prominent Makkah businessman, said the project would take care of Jabal Omar’s topography. He said the project would make use of domestic and international architectural expertise. A number of new real estate projects are being implemented in Makkah to cater to the needs of increasing number of pilgrims.
According to Habib Zain Al-Abidine, undersecretary at the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, some 25 new real estate projects are being carried out in the central region including Jabal Omar, Shamiya and Khandama projects. Economists say new real estate projects around the Grand Mosque will draw investments in excess of SR100 billion.
