What Role Did MIT Play in the Third Saudi Expansion of the Grand Mosque?

In the first series of reports on the third Saudi expansion of the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah, Asharq Al-Awsat delved into the development of the subject with the issuance of the royal decree to form a team of experts comprised of Saudi university professors and other global specialists.

This initiative was undertaken to scrutinize the proposed expansion project in the year 2008.

Furthermore, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Higher Education established the aforementioned team, in accordance with the royal decree, tasked with assessing the state of the Grand Mosque during that period.

This assessment encompassed comprehensive studies and on-site surveys.

Additionally, the team undertook the evaluation of the proposed design through a dual-layered review process – one conducted at the local level by the Ministry's team, and the other at the international level by a team from the firm AECOM.

However, there exists a tale narrating the technological vision of the Grand Mosque, developed by a team of professors and researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

In addition, prominent architects, global consulting firms, and select Saudi universities and institutions took part in formulating architectural concepts and design approaches for the expansion.

They also presented forward-looking perspectives for the future of the Grand Mosque.

In this investigation, Asharq Al-Awsat continues to shed further light on various architectural and design aspects, as well as future visions presented by firms and universities.

The article explores how some of these ideas were harnessed in the development of the chosen design under the royal decrees. Moreover, it delves into the features of the technological systems put forth by MIT.

Despite being allotted just a short span of two months, the architectural innovators, global firms, and local organizations, who were called upon to present their proposals, delivered a diverse range of visionary concepts.

Among them were preliminary ideas and sophisticated architectural approaches, all of which engaged with key aspects of the expansion project.

Subsequently, some of these ideas and approaches were incorporated into the design development, a point we will delve into further.

They, however, shared numerous factors that included enhancing the unobstructed visual access to the holy Kaaba from all directions, expanding the prayer areas while considering an increase in their capacity, and enlarging the Mataf (circumambulation area around the Kaaba) and the Sa’i (the ritual walk between the hills of Safa and Marwah).

The expansion featured a specialized avenue for presenting forward-looking perspectives, with the intention of formulating comprehensive and optimal solutions for the long-term development of the Grand Mosque.

These perspectives were developed with an unconstrained urban approach, aimed at discovering positive impacts in the holistic consideration of the Grand Mosque’s evolving needs for enhancements and extensions, leading to ideal future-oriented solutions.

Seven distinguished global architects, alongside King Saud University, contributed their proposed visions, which revolved around a holistic vision for Makkah’s broader development.

To emphasize the scale of the endeavor by the technical teams, we will highlight the key aspects of the cutting-edge technological vision put forth by a team of over ten professors from MIT.

Their research encompassed the presentation of pertinent and implementable technological systems for the expansion project of the Grand Mosque.

Following the exhaustive efforts of the technical team during the project’s initial phase, involving meticulous and comprehensive studies, conceptualizations, architectural and urban visions, as well as artistic and technological considerations, the outcomes were presented for review to King Abdullah.

The proposal by King Saud University emerged as the most suitable option. Subsequently, on February 21, 2009, Royal Directive No. 1692 was issued, stipulating “the proposed design by King Saud University for the expansion of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, for the Grand Mosque shall serve as the foundational blueprint for initiating the design process.”

“This selection is attributed to its alignment with the existing state of the Grand Mosque... with the understanding that it will undergo further development to align with the developmental, design, and operational visions of the study team, and may subsequently be adopted and executed by the Saudi Binladin Group.”

With that, the first phase of the team’s work on the project was successfully concluded, culminating in the issuance of the aforementioned royal decree.

It is imperative at this juncture to emphasize the team’s relentless effort and dedication to achieving the desired outcomes through a collaborative and integrated approach, executed with the utmost professionalism and in accordance with defined methodologies and frameworks.

The term “team,” which has been referred to by various names in different documents and reports such as “Study Team,” “Core Team,” “Ministry Team,” or “University Team” encompasses all committees and working groups operating under the purview of the Ministry of Higher Education.

Why was the design proposed by King Saud University chosen?

According to Dr. Abdulaziz bin Saad Al-Muqrin, former Dean of the College of Architecture and Planning at King Saud University, during the presentation to King Abdullah at the College of Marine Sciences in Jeddah, architectural and future visions were showcased by both global and local consulting firms as well as other colleges.

It was scheduled that each design proposal by the involved team would be summarized in 3-5 minutes.

However, the proposal presented by King Saud University extended to over 20 minutes.

This was due to King Abdullah taking the time to listen to the detailed explanations of the university’s proposal, which was presented by Dr. Abdullah Al-Othman, the university's director.

The detailed presentation highlighted the merits of the proposed design from various perspectives.

The prolonged duration of the review may have been a testament to the emphasis placed on the design's ability to preserve the identity of the Grand Mosque and its integration with past expansions, potentially more so than other designs.

The university reinforced this by presenting its vision for future expansions, illustrating the possibility of continuing future expansions along the same trajectory.

Furthermore, the university’s representatives engaged in discussions with the technical team and subsequently with relevant authorities regarding the nomination of the university’s design idea.

It was considered the most suitable option due to its alignment with previous expansions and its potential for expedited implementation.

A committee comprising the Ministry of Higher Education, the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, and the Saudi Binladin Group was established to formulate recommendations.

The proposed urban and architectural concept from King Saud University was rooted in the notion that the Grand Mosque is not solely a place of prayer, but fundamentally encompasses the Mataf and the Sa’i.

Along with the paramount role of prayer, it is these acts of Tawaf and Sa’i that distinguish this mosque from others, including the Prophet’s Mosque.

Furthermore, it was essential to strike a balance between these core functions while alleviating operational burdens. This entailed elevating safety, security, and spirituality for visitors to the Grand Mosque, and ensuring the sustainability of the mosque as a mega facility. The proposed design approach can be summarized as follows:

The expansion would consist of three separate, somewhat distinct building blocks, each with three levels – ground, first, second, and rooftop – that are interconnected on upper floors. This configuration offers a high degree of operational flexibility based on different occasions and ensures effective crowd management and safety measures.

Integrated within the sides of these blocks are facilities catering to worshippers and prayer, strategically positioned to reduce movement between prayer areas and service zones. Courtyards are interspersed within these blocks to infuse natural light across all levels of the expansion.

Amid the devastation, thousands of residents of Syria’s Al-Qusayr performed Eid Al-Fitr prayers in the northern district square—the site where the city’s first protest against President Bashar al-Assad’s rule erupted in 2011.

For the first time in Al-Qusayr’s history, Eid prayers were held in a public square. It was also the first mass gathering of residents in an open space in 13 years, following a war that destroyed 70% of the city, displaced its people, and led to its capture by Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Syrian regime forces.

Al-Qusayr, a region located near the Lebanese border, was once Hezbollah’s most significant stronghold in Syria. The group withdrew after the fall of the Syrian regime in December, but its loyalists and affiliated locals remained, along with residents of several border villages that have seen sporadic clashes in recent months.

The most intense fighting occurred in February, when Syrian forces launched a military operation that pushed them into Lebanese territory and deployed troops to seal off illegal border crossings.

Tensions flared again two weeks ago after Syrian soldiers were killed in the border region, triggering an exchange of artillery fire between the two sides.

The clashes left casualties on both ends and forced the displacement of border village residents before a ceasefire was reached with the Lebanese army.

The agreement included the closure of four illegal crossings in an effort to curb the smuggling of weapons and drugs, a trade that has flourished over the past decade under the former regime.

As soon as the regime fell, refugees from Al-Qusayr living in Lebanese camps began returning to their hometown. Hundreds arrived to find their homes completely destroyed, forcing them to set up tents beside the ruins while they rebuilt or searched for alternative housing.

The residents of Al-Qusayr resumed their communal Eid traditions after Ramadan. (Sami Volunteer Team)

The large turnout for Eid prayers underscored the scale of the return.

Journalist Ahmed al-Qasir, who recently came back, estimated that about 65% of those displaced have now returned. Before the uprising, Al-Qusayr had a population of around 150,000, he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Shahin, 30, who returned in 2018, described the city as a wasteland at the time, despite some 20,000 people having already come back.

“Hezbollah, regime militias, and smugglers controlled the area. There were no real markets, just small shops. Everything was in ruins—schools, clinics, hospitals,” he said.

Residents had to travel 30 kilometers to Homs for basic necessities, enduring regime checkpoints that extorted money along the way.

With the fall of Assad’s regime and Hezbollah’s withdrawal, life in Al-Qusayr has slowly begun to return to normal. Since the start of Ramadan, markets have reopened despite widespread destruction, poverty, and hardship.

On the eve of Eid, the city’s streets buzzed with late-night shopping, Shahin noted.

“Al-Qusayr is finally regaining its role as the region’s commercial hub,” he said.

According to a survey by the Sami Volunteer Team, more than 30,000 refugees returned to Al-Qusayr and its countryside within the first month of the regime’s collapse.

That number is believed to have doubled over the past four months, and team organizers expect it to rise further once the school year ends.

Zaid Harba, a member of the 40-person volunteer group, said most returnees came from refugee camps in Lebanon, while fewer arrived from displacement camps in northern Syria.

Many families there are waiting for the academic year to conclude before arranging their return.

What Role Did MIT Play in the Third Saudi Expansion of the Grand Mosque?