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