The Future Haram Land (Makkah Al Mukarramah)

Plans have been made to increase the capacity of the Grand Mosque in Makkah by 35 percent in order to accommodate the growing numbers of pilgrims and worshippers especially during the peak Haj and Umrah seasons, sources close to the project said.The sources said that the Makkah Development Authority, the Makkah Municipality and the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques’ Affairs are currently conducting intensive studies concerning the expansion project to be completed by 2020.The Makkah Development Authority has approved the master plan for the development of the city’s central region. The plan aims at accommodating three million residents and eight million pilgrims. The Saudi Binladin Group has begun work on the expansion of the running area (masaa) between Safa and Marwa. The project aims at reducing overcrowding and will be completed before the next Haj season. Plans are under way to air-condition the entire built-up area of the mosque.The Saudi government has spent more than SR70 billion on the expansion of the Two Holy Mosques in recent years. Each mosque can now hold more than a million worshippers at a time.As part of efforts to develop Makkah’s central region, in 2005 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah launched six major projects, including the SR12 billion Jabal Omar Residential Towers . Spread over 230,000 square meters, the Jabal Omar project includes five-star hotels, commercial centers and prayer facilities.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 center of Makkah. The total cost will exceed SR100 billion.Sami Barhameen, secretary-general of the Makkah Development Authority, said the development projects to be implemented around the Grand Mosque were designed to enable worshippers to follow the imam at the Grand Mosque during prayers. The projects will not affect the underground flow of Zamzam water.

World's Most Expensive Car

What is the most expensive car in the world? The 1931 Bugatti Royale Kellner Coupe was sold for $8,700,000 in 1987. However, that car and many alike will not be included in this list because it is not available on the market today. It is hard to imagine someone would actually spend 8 million dollars on a car instead of using it for something more productive. However, if you have the money and the opportunity, you will definitely spend a small fraction of it to place a few of these supercars in your garage.

Bugatti Veyron $1,700,000. This is by far the most expensive street legal car available on the market today. It is the fastest accelerating car reaching 0-60 in 2.6 seconds. It claims to be the fastest car with a top speed of 253 mph+. However, the title for the fastest car goes to the SSC Ultimate Aero which exceed 253 mph pushing this car to 2nd place for the fastest car.

Millau Viaduct - World Highest Bridge

The Millau Viaduct (French: le Viaduc de Millau, Occitan: lo Viaducte de Milhau) is an enormous cable-stayed road-bridge that spans the valley of the river Tarn near Millau in southern France. Designed by the structural engineer Michel Virlogeux and British architect Norman Foster, it is the tallest vehicular bridge in the world, with one mast's summit at 343 metres (1,125 ft) — slightly taller than the Eiffel Tower and only 38 m (125 ft) shorter than the Empire State Building. The viaduct is part of the A75-A71 autoroute axis from Paris to Montpellier. It was formally dedicated on 14 December 2004, inaugurated the day after and opened to traffic two days later. The bridge won the 2006 IABSE Outstanding Structure Award

The bridge’s construction broke three world records:
1. The highest pylons in the world: pylons P2 and P3, 244.96 metres (803 ft 8 in) and 221.05 metres (725 ft 3 in) in height respectively, broke the French record previously held by the Tulle and Verrières Viaducts (141 m/460 ft), and the world record previously held by the Kochertal Viaduct (Germany), which is 181 metres (590 ft) at its highest;
2. The highest mast in the world: the mast atop pylon P2 peaks at 343 metres (1,130 ft).
3. The highest road bridge deck in the world, 270 m (890 ft) above the Tarn River at its highest point. It is nearly twice as tall as the previous tallest vehicular bridge in Europe, the Europabrücke in Austria. It is slightly higher than the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia in the United States, which is 267 m (880 ft) above the New River. Only the bridge deck of the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado, United States (mainly a pedestrian bridge over the Arkansas River, occasionally also used by motor vehicles) is higher with 321 m (1,050 ft), and is considered the highest bridge in the world.

The Millau Viaduct is located on the territory of the communes of Millau and Creissels, France, in the département of Aveyron. Before the bridge was constructed, traffic had to descend into the Tarn River valley and pass along the route nationale N9 near the town of Millau, causing heavy congestion at the beginning and end of the July and August vacation season. The bridge now traverses the Tarn valley above its lowest point, linking two limestone plateaux, the Causse du Larzac and the Causse Rouge, and is inside the perimeter of the Grands Causses regional natural park.The Eiffage group, which constructed the viaduct, also operates it, under a government contract which allows the company to collect tolls for up to 75 years. The toll bridge costs €5.60 for light automobiles (€7.40 during the peak months of July and August).

Prophet's Mosque Expansion

Madinah Gov. Prince Abdul Aziz bin Majed expressed his happiness at the royal visit and said it would boost the region’s development. “King Abdullah’s visit carries a lot of glad tidings for the people of Madinah,” the governor said. The Prophet’s Mosque expansion includes installation of 182 sunshades in courtyards around the mosque for the benefit of 200,000 worshippers. A single sunshade will cover an area of 576 square meters.
The mosque’s eastern courtyard will be expanded, adding 37,000 square meters and creating additional prayer place for 70,000 worshippers.
With the completion of the new expansion project, all residential areas of old Madinah would become part the mosque complex. Researcher Tandheeb Al-Fayedi said the expansion of the Prophet’s Mosque has covered old Madinah completely.
“Some buildings that sprouted 100 years ago outside the old city have been added to the new complex,” he added. Souk Al-Manakha, an important market since olden times and which begins from Ghamama Mosque to Sabaq Mosque, has been included in the expansion.
Some of the old residential districts that are included in the new expansion are: Harrat Aghwat on the east of Haram, Bab Al-Majeedi on the north, Bab Al-Salam on the west, and Hammam Taiba on the south.

Makkah Madinah High Speed Rail

Station Locations

Makkah Central, Makkah
Jeddah Central, Jeddah
Jeddah Airport, Jeddah
King Abdullah Econamic City, Rabig
Knowledge Economic City, Madinah

Project Brief
The Government has taken a decision to implement a railway project linking the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah via Jeddah. The HHR will be a high speed electrified passenger line, primarily designed to provide a fast, comfortable, reliable and safe mode of transport. The overall objective of the Government is to implement the HHR project as a public funded project.

The important features of the Project given below are based on preliminary estimations and are subject to revision on more detailed analysis and design.

The HHR will be a high speed (360 km/h design speed) electrified passenger double line between Makkah, Jeddah and Madinah.
Makkah Central Station near the 3rd Ring Road.
Jeddah Central Station will be located on the Haramain Road, the railway aligment will use the median of the Haramain road and the Station in KAIA will be a terminus station.
Madinah will have only one passenger station.
Station will also be required in the King Abdullah Economic City and a station may be required for the Hajj Terminal at Jeddah Airport

Africa Arabian Peninsula Bridge

The Bridge of the Horns is a proposed construction project to build a bridge between the coasts of Djibouti and Yemen across the Bab-el-Mandeb, the strait between the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. It will be constructed by Noor City Development Corporation, and the notice-to-proceed was issued by Middle East Development LLC, which is headed by Tarek bin Laden, a half brother of Osama bin Laden.

City of Aceh

Banda Aceh is the provincial capital and largest city of Aceh, Indonesia, located on the island of Sumatra, with an elevation of 21 meters. The population was approximately 260,000 in 2006[citation needed]. Banda Aceh is located at the northwestern tip of Indonesia.
The city was originally named Kutaraja, and determined as the provincial capital in 1956.[1] Kuta Raja means "City of the King", in reference to the founding of the Aceh Sultanate from Champa origins. Later its name was changed to Banda Aceh, with the first part of the name coming from the Persian bandar (بندر) meaning "port" or "haven". It is also proudly referred to as the "port to Meccah", as Islam first arrived in Aceh before spreading throughout Southeast Asia.[citation needed]
Until December 26, 2004, Banda Aceh was not frequently the subject of international discussion. On that day the Indian Ocean earthquake struck off the western coast of Sumatra. Banda Aceh was the closest major city to the earthquake's epicenter, and suffered further damage when a tsunami struck shortly afterwards. It was the worst hit area out of all the locations hit. 130,000 people died and many more were injured. The tsunamis resulted from an earthquake of magnitude 9.2 and struck at about 6:58am. The epicenter was about 155 miles off the coast of Banda Aceh[2].
The elected mayor and vice-mayor of Banda Aceh are Mawardi Nurdin and Illiza Saaduddin.

City of Djibouti

The City of Djibouti (Arabic: جيبوتي‎, Somali: Jabuuti, French: Ville de Djibouti) is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Djibouti. It lies on a peninsula that divides the Gulf of Aden from the Gulf of Tadjoura.
Djibouti has the same status as the country's five regions. The metropolitan territory borders Arta Region to the south and west, and the Gulf of Tadjourah/Gulf of Aden to the north. Djibouti is home to a population of around 400,000 people, its planned centre having been divided into the former European and African quarters.

The European Quarter
The Djibouti-Addis Ababa Railway runs from the city to Addis Ababa, while it is also home to the Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport. Northwest of the city centre lies the city's port, used for international trade, fishing and by ferries to Obock and Tadjoura.
One travel writer describes Djibouti as having an identity problem, "it is the sedentary capital of a nomadic people, an African city designed like a European settlement and a kind of French Hong Kong in the Red Sea."[1] Features of Djibouti City include beaches along its eastern shore and the large Central Market, the national stadium Stade du Ville, the Presidential Palace and Hamouli Mosque.

P Ramlee

Tan Sri Dr. P. Ramlee (1929 - 1973) atau nama sebenarnya Teuku Zakaria Teuku Nyak Puteh merupakan seorang pelakon, penyanyi, pengarah, pemain muzik dan penulis lagu terkenal di Malaysia dan Singapura.

Latar belakang
Beliau telah dilahirkan di Pulau Pinang pada pagi Hari Raya Aidilfitri 22 Mac 1929 kepada pasangan Teuku Nyak Puteh Teuku Karim (1902 - 1955) dan Che Mah Hussein (1904 - 1967). Bapanya yang berasal dari Lhokseumawe, Acheh, telah mendirikan rumahtangga dengan Che Mah Hussein pada tahun 1925 di Kubang Buaya, Butterworth. P. Ramlee juga mempunyai seorang adik-beradik tiri, Syeikh Ali, yang sama ibu dengannya.
Beliau menerima pendidikan awal di Sekolah Melayu Kampung Jawa dan kemudian ke Sekolah Francis Light. Seterusnya beliau menyambung pelajaran di Penang Free School sehingga meletusnya Perang Dunia Kedua. Ketika pendudukan tentera Jepun di Tanah Melayu, beliau belajar di Sekolah Tentera Laut Jepun sebelum kembali ke Penang Free School apabila tamat perang.

Permulaan kerjaya seni
Bermula dengan bermain ukele, P. Ramlee beralih kepada gitar dan biola di bawah bimbingan Encik Kamaruddin (pemimpin brass band di Penang Free School). Beliau menyertai Orkes Teruna Sekampung dan kemudian Sinaran Bintang Sore. Beliau pernah menjadi juara nyanyian anjuran Radio Pulau Pinang pada tahun 1947 dan terpilih sebagai Bintang Penyanyi Utama Malaya. Dalam pertandingan itu, beliau menggunakan huruf "P" (bagi Puteh) di awal namanya dan kekallah nama P. Ramlee itu hingga ke akhir hayatnya.
Filem pertama lakonan P.Ramlee adalah "Chinta" pada tahun 1948. Beliau memegang peranan sebagai penjahat dan nyanyian latar. Kejayaannya terus berkembang dan telah berjaya berlakon di dalam 27 buah filem di antara tahun 1948 hingga 1955. Salah seorang pendorong dan guru P. Ramlee dalam dunia perfileman Melayu adalah Datuk L. Krishnan (Pengarah filem Melayu tahun 50-an dan 60-an yang terkenal). Gaya lakonan P. Ramlee yang amat berjaya itu adalah hasil inspirasi P. Ramlee daripada dua pelakon terkenal India Selatan iaitu MGR dan Sivaji Ganesan. Filem terakhir lakonan beliau ialah "Laksamana Do Re Mi" pada tahun 1972 dan lagu dan lirik terakhirnya adalah "Ayer Mata Di Kuala Lumpur" pada tahun 1973 sebelum beliau menghembuskan nafas terakhirnya.


Perkahwinan
P. Ramlee & Salmah Ismail (Saloma)
P. Ramlee pernah berkahwin tiga kali. Kali pertama beliau berkahwin dengan Junaidah Daeng Harris pada 1950 tetapi perkahwinan hanya bertahan selama empat tahun. Perkahwinan kedua P. Ramlee adalah dengan Noorizan Mohd Noor pada 6 Februari 1955, seorang kerabat diraja negeri Perak yang sanggup meninggalkan alam istana demi orang yang dicintainya itu. Walau bagaimanapun, Norizan mengharapkan sesuatu yang lebih dari perkahwinan mereka tetapi P. Ramlee lebih menumpukan hidupnya kepada kerjaya seninya yang menyebabkan perkahwinan mereka retak. Kali terakhir adalah dengan Salmah Ismail (Saloma) pada 21 November 1961 dalam satu majlis yang sangat sederhana bersama rakan-rakan terdekatnya.
Wanita dalam hidup P. Ramlee menyintai beliau atas sebab-sebab yang berbeza. Isteri pertama beliau, Junaidah, menyintai P. Ramlee ketika beliau masih belum ternama manakala Norizan menyintai P. Ramlee sebagai seorang seniman dan pembikin filem yang terkenal. Walau bagaimanapun, Saloma menyintai P. Ramlee seadanya iaitu sebagai seorang seniman dan sebagai seorang yang biasa yang menyebabkan Saloma menjadi teman hidup sehati sejiwa beliau sehingga ke akhir hayat.

Anak-anak
P. Ramlee mempunyai ramai anak yang dijaga beliau dan tetapi hanya dua orang sahaja yang merupakan anak kandungnya hasil perkahwinan beliau dengan Junaidah. Anak-anak beliau banyak membantu beliau dalam kerja seperti menjadi penyanyi latar kanak-kanak (contohnya lagu Tolong Kami Bantu Kami dari filem 3 Abdul) dan pelakon kanak-kanak tambahan (contoh Sazali yang berlakon sebagai anak pekerja ladang dalam Anak Bapak). Berikut merupakan anak-anak yang pernah dijaga beliau:
Mohd Nasir : Anak kandung bersama Junaidah (lahir 1953)
Arfan : Anak kandung bersama Junaidah (lahir 1954)
Sazali : Anak angkat (lahir 1958)
Abdul Rahman : Anak tiri (anak Junaidah)
Norma : Anak tiri (anak Noorizan)
Armali : Anak tiri (anak Saloma dan A.R.Tompel)
Betty : Anak angkat
Zakiah @ Zazaloma : Anak angkat (lahir 1963)
Sabaruddin @ Badin : Anak angkat (lahir 1966)
Dian : Anak angkat (keturunan Cina)

Penghargaan selepas pemergian
P. Ramlee menerima Pingat Kebesaran Ahli Mangku Negara(A.M.N.) daripada Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong yang ketiga.
P. Ramlee telah kembali ke Rahmatullah pada pagi Selasa 29 Mei 1973 ketika berusia 44 tahun dan jenazahnya dikebumikan di Tanah Perkuburan Islam Jalan Ampang Kuala Lumpur. Bagi mengenang jasa dan sumbangannya, Allahyarham telah dianugerahkan Bintang Kebesaran Darjah Panglima Setia Mahkota oleh Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong pada tahun 1990 yang membawa gelaran Tan Sri. Selain itu rumah terakhir beliau di Jalan Dedap, Setapak telah diubahsuai dan dijadikan sebagai "Pustaka Peringatan P Ramlee" pada tahun 1986. Manakala di tengah pusat bandar raya Kuala Lumpur namanya turut diabadikan pada sebatang jalan iaitu Jalan P.Ramlee (dahulunya Jalan Parry) pada tahun 1982. Di Kuching juga ada sebatang jalan yg dinamakan Jalan P.Ramlee. Beliau turut mendapat penghargaan doktor falsafah dalam bidang seni persembahan pada tahun 2005 yang membawa gelaran "doktor".
Kemudian, sempena 50 tahun kemerdekaan Malaysia iaitu pada tahun 2007, P. Ramlee telah terpilih sebagai 10 calon terakhir bagi program "Anak Gemilang Malaysia" yang mengiktiraf rakyat Malaysia yang banyak memberi sumbangan kepada negara dan kejayaannya menaikkan nama negara di mata dunia.
Pada tahun yang sama, kisah hidup beliau juga telah dipentaskan dalam satu pementasan teater muzikal dengan tajuk "P. Ramlee the Musical... Hidup, Cinta and Inspirasi"

Anugerah
Berikut merupakan senarai anugerah yang terlibat dengan beliau dan karya beliau sepanjang hidup beliau.
1945
Pertandingan Nyanyian Radio Pulau Pinang Malaya
"Tempat ke-3" - P. Ramlee
1946
Pertandingan Nyanyian Keroncong Pualu Pinang
"Tempat Pertama" - P.Ramlee dan Pancaragam Keroncong Pemuda Indonesia
Pertandingan Nyanyian Radio Pulau Pinang Malaya
"Tempat ke-2" - P.Ramlee
1947
Pertandingan Nyanyian Radio Pulau Pinang Malaya
"Tempat pertama" - P.Ramlee
1951
Majalah Filem Raya Malaya
"Bintang Pujaan Malaya and Indonesia" - P.Ramlee
1952
Majalah Filem Raya Malaya
"Pelakon Terbaik" - P.Ramlee
"Filem Terbaik" - Antara Senyum Dan Tangis
"Filem Kegemaran" - Juwita
1953
Majalah Filem Raya Malaya
"Filem Terbaik" - Hujan Panas
"Pelakon Terbaik" - P.Ramlee
"Filem Kegemaran Malaya" - Antara Senyum Dan Tangis
"Filem Kegemaran Malaya dan Indonesia" - Antara Senyum Dan Tangis
"Pelakon Kegemaran Malaya dan Indonesia" - P.Ramlee
Majalah Filem dan Sukan Utusan Malaya
"Artis Tahunan 1953" - P.Ramlee
"Filem Terbaik" - Hujan Panas
Radio Malaya
"Penyanyi Lelaki Terbaik" - P.Ramlee
1956
Festival Filem Asia ke-3 Hong Kong
"Skor Muzik Terbaik" - P.Ramlee
"Pelakon Pembantu Wanita Terbaik" - Zaiton bagi Hang Tuah
Majalah Bintang Singapura
"Seniman Terbaik" - P.Ramlee
"Pengarah Terbaik" - P.Ramlee
"Penggubah Terbaik" - P.Ramlee
"Penyanyi Terbaik" - P.Ramlee
"Filem Terbaik" - Semerah Padi
"Filem Kedua Terbaik" - Anakku Sazali
"Pengarah Kedua Terbaik" - Phani Majumdar bagi Anakku Sazali
"Pelakon Wanita Terbaik" - Saadiah Baharom bagi Semerah Padi
Majalah Filem dan Sukan Utusan Malaya
"Filem Melayu Terbaik" - Penarik Beca
"Pengarah Terbaik" - P.Ramlee
"Seniman Terbaik" - P.Ramlee
"Lagu Terbaik" - Inang Baru dari Penarik Beca
1957
Festival Filem Antarabangsa Berlin
Terpilih untuk Tayangan - Hang Tuah
Festival Filem Asia ke-4 Tokyo
"Pelakon Lelaki Terbaik" - P.Ramlee
"Pelakon Kanak-kanak Terbaik" - Tony Castillo bagi Anakku Sazali
1958
Festival Filem Asia ke-5 Manila
"Fotografi Hitam Putih Terbaik" - Abu Bakar Ali bagi Sumpah Orang Minyak
Majalah Kisah Bintang Dan Filem Malaya
"Seniman Terbaik" - P.Ramlee
"Filem Terbaik" - Sumpah Orang Minyak
"Lagu Kedua Terbaik" - Tudung Periuk dari Sumpah Orang Minyak
1959
Festival Filem Asia ke-6 Kuala Lumpur
"Filem Komedi Terbaik" - Pendekar Bujang Lapok
1960
Majalah Gelanggang Singapura
"Filem Paling Popular" - Pendekar Bujang Lapok
"Fotografi Hitam dan Putih Terbaik" - Nujum Pak Belalang
Majalah Bintang Singapura
"Filem Kegemaran" - Pendekar Bujang Lapok
"Pengarah Kegemaran" - P.Ramlee
"Fotografi Hitam dan Putih Terbaik" - Abu Bakar Ali bagi Nujum Pak Belalang
"Seniman Teratas" - P.Ramlee
"Lagu Kegemaran" - Jangan Adik Angan-Angan dari Musang Berjanggut
Festival Filem Asia ke-7 Tokyo
"Filem Komedi Terbaik" - Nujum Pak Belalang
1962
Festival Filem Asia ke-9 Tokyo
Pencalonan bagi "Filem Komedi Terbaik" - Seniman Bujang Lapok
Darjah Kurnia Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail
"Ahli Mangku Negara" - P. Ramlee A.M.N.
1963
Festival Filem Asia ke-10 Tokyo
"Fotografi Hitam dan Putih Terbaik" - Abu Bakar Ali bagi Ibu Mertuaku
"Bakat Paling Pelbagai" - P.Ramlee
1964
Festival Filem Asia ke-11 Taipei
"Filem Komedi Terbaik" - Madu Tiga
1965
Festival Filem Dunia Paris
"Anugerah Khas" - Ibu Mertuaku