DUBAI:
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has unveiled a massive new development adjacent to Makkah’s Grand Mosque, promising to transform the city’s spiritual and urban landscape. The landmark initiative, known as “King Salman Gate,” will add nearly 900,000 indoor and outdoor prayer spaces and reshape access to Islam’s holiest site, according to the RUA AlHaram AlMakki Company the firm spearheading the project.
Spanning 12 million square meters, the mixed-use development will include residential, cultural, and service facilities designed to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims visiting Makkah each year. The project aims to blend modern infrastructure with the city’s sacred heritage, setting a new benchmark for sustainable urban development in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
Speaking about the project, officials emphasized that King Salman Gate will not only ease access to the Grand Mosque but also elevate the experience of millions of worshippers. The development will feature around 19,000 square meters of restored heritage zones, allowing visitors to engage more deeply with Makkah’s rich cultural history while benefiting from modern amenities.
The site will be seamlessly connected to public transport networks, ensuring smoother travel for pilgrims and residents. Once completed, the project is expected to create over 300,000 jobs by 2036, bolstering the Kingdom’s employment sector and contributing to economic diversification beyond oil revenues.
RUA AlHaram AlMakki Company a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) is leading the initiative as part of its ongoing mission to enhance urban standards around the Grand Mosque. The company has committed to environmentally responsible construction, sustainable resource management, and global best practices in real estate development.
The King Salman Gate project is the latest in a series of major ventures announced under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which seeks to reduce the Kingdom’s dependence on oil by investing heavily in tourism, culture, and infrastructure.
According to the Knight Frank 2025 Giga Projects Report, Saudi Arabia’s total value of giga-project contracts has reached $196 billion this year, marking a 20 percent increase from 2024.
As part of this broader vision, the Kingdom hopes to welcome 30 million pilgrims annually for Hajj and Umrah by 2030 a target that underscores Makkah’s growing importance as both a spiritual and economic hub. In 2019 alone, Saudi Arabia earned roughly $12 billion from the two pilgrimages, reflecting the central role of religious tourism in its economy.
The announcement of King Salman Gate thus represents more than just another construction milestone it symbolizes Saudi Arabia’s ongoing transformation into a modern, globally connected nation that remains deeply rooted in its Islamic heritage.
