عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Features

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

The expansion project looks to enhance the unobstructed visual access to the holy Kaaba from all directions. (AFP)
The expansion project looks to enhance the unobstructed visual access to the holy Kaaba from all directions. (AFP)
TT
TT

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

The expansion project looks to enhance the unobstructed visual access to the holy Kaaba from all directions. (AFP)
The expansion project looks to enhance the unobstructed visual access to the holy Kaaba from all directions. (AFP)

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.

Most Viewed

 
 
Features

This Ramadan, Relief and Hope Bump against Uncertainty in the New Syria

Residents walk in the market on the first day of Ramadan, the holy month for Muslims, in Damascus, Syria, Saturday March 1, 2025.(AP)
Residents walk in the market on the first day of Ramadan, the holy month for Muslims, in Damascus, Syria, Saturday March 1, 2025.(AP)
TT
TT

This Ramadan, Relief and Hope Bump against Uncertainty in the New Syria

Residents walk in the market on the first day of Ramadan, the holy month for Muslims, in Damascus, Syria, Saturday March 1, 2025.(AP)
Residents walk in the market on the first day of Ramadan, the holy month for Muslims, in Damascus, Syria, Saturday March 1, 2025.(AP)

Sahar Diab had visited Damascus’ famed Umayyad Mosque previously. But as the Syrian lawyer went there to pray during her country’s first Ramadan after the end of the Assad family’s iron-fisted rule, she felt something new, something priceless: A sense of ease.

“The rituals have become much more beautiful,” she said. “Before, we were restricted in what we could say. ... Now, there’s freedom.”

As Diab spoke recently, however, details were trickling in from outside Damascus about deadly clashes. The bloodshed took on sectarian overtones and devolved into the worst violence since former President Bashar Assad was overthrown in December by armed insurgents led by the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

This Ramadan — the Muslim holy month of daily fasting and heightened worship — such are the realities of a Syria undergoing complex transition. Relief, hope and joy at new openings — after 53 years of the Assad dynasty’s reign, prolonged civil war and crushing economic woes — intermingle with uncertainty, fear by some, and a particularly bloody and worrisome wave of violence.

Some are feeling empowered, others vulnerable.

“We’re not afraid of anything,” Diab said. She wants her country to be rebuilt and to get rid of Assad-era “corruption and bribery.”

At the Umayyad Mosque, the rituals were age-old: A woman fingering a prayer bead and kissing a copy of the Quran; the faithful standing shoulder-to-shoulder and prostrating in prayer; the Umayyad’s iconic and unusual group call to prayer, recited by several people.

Muslim worshippers pray during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria, Friday March 7, 2025. (AP)

The sermon, by contrast, was fiery in delivery and new in message.

The speaker, often interrupted by loud chants of “God is great,” railed against Assad and hailed the uprising against him.

“Our revolution is not a sectarian revolution even though we’d been slaughtered by the sword of sectarianism,” he said.

This Ramadan, Syrians marked the 14th anniversary of the start of their country’s civil war. The conflict began as a peaceful revolt against the regime, before Assad crushed the protests and a civil war erupted.

It became increasingly fought along sectarian lines, drawing in foreign powers and fighters. Assad, who had ruled over a majority Sunni population, belongs to the minority Alawite sect and had drawn from Alawite ranks for military and security positions, fueling resentment. That, Alawites say now, shouldn’t mean collective blame for his actions.

Many Syrians speak of omnipresent fear under Assad, often citing the Arabic saying, “the walls have ears,” reflecting that speaking up even privately didn’t feel safe. They talk of hardships, injustices and brutality. Now, for example, many celebrate freedom from dreaded Assad-era checkpoints.

“They would harass us,” said Ahmed Saad Aldeen, who came to the Umayyad Mosque from the city of Homs. “You go out ... and you don’t know whether you’ll return home or not.”

He said more than a dozen cousins are missing; a search for them in prisons proved futile.

Mohammed Qudmani said even going to the mosque caused anxiety for some before, for fear of getting on security forces’ radar screen or being labeled a “terrorist.”

Now, Damascus streets are bedecked with the new three-starred flag, not long ago a symbol of Assad's opponents. It flutters from poles and is plastered to walls, sometimes with the words “God is great” handwritten on it.

One billboard declares this the “Ramadan of victory.” On a government building, the faces of former presidents Bashar and Hafez al-Assad are partly cut off from a painting; in their place, “Freedom” is scribbled in Arabic.

Haidar Haidar, who owns a sweets shop, said he was touched that new security force members gave him water and dates while he was out when a call to prayer signaled that those fasting can eat and drink.

“We never saw such things here,” he said, adding that he used to recite Quranic verses for protection before passing through Assad’s checkpoints.

He said his business was doing well this Ramadan and ingredients have become more available.

A boy buys sweets on the first day of Ramadan, the holy month for Muslims, in Damascus, Syria, Saturday March 1, 2025.(AP)

Still, challenges — economic, geopolitical and otherwise — abound.

Many dream of a new Syria, but exactly how that would look remains uncertain.

“The situation is foggy,” said Damascus resident Wassim Bassimah. “Of course, there’s great joy that we’ve gotten rid of the cancer we had, but there’s also a lot of wariness.”

Syrians, he added, must be mindful to protect their country from sliding back into civil war and should maintain a dialogue that is inclusive of all.

“The external enemies are still there,” he said. “So are the enemies from within.”

The war’s scars are inescapable.

Just outside of Damascus, death and destruction are seared into some landscapes littered with pockmarked and ruined structures. Many Syrians grieve the missing and killed; many families have been divided by the exodus of millions as refugees.

Ramadan typically sees festive gatherings with loved ones to break the daily fast. Some Syrians huddle around food and juices at restaurants or throng to Ramadan tents to break their fast and smoke waterpipes as they listen to songs.

But this month’s violence in Syria’s coastal region has stoked fears among some.

The bloodshed began after reports of attacks by Assad loyalists on government security forces. Human rights and monitoring groups reported revenge killings in the counteroffensive, which they said saw the involvement of multiple groups. According to them, hundreds of civilians, or more, were killed; figures couldn't be independently confirmed. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said most of the killed civilians were Alawites in addition to a number of armed Alawites and security forces. Syrian authorities have formed a committee tasked with investigating the violence.

Even before the bloodshed, while many celebrated the new government, others questioned what the ascent of the former opposition forces would mean for freedoms, including of minorities and of those in the majority who are secular-minded or adhere to less conservative interpretations of Islam. The new authorities have made assurances about pluralism.

Sheikh Adham al-Khatib, a representative of Twelver Shiites in Syria, said many from the Shiite minority felt scared after Assad’s ouster and some fled the country. Some later returned, encouraged by a relative calm and the new authorities’ reassurances, he said, but the recent violence and some “individual transgressions" have rekindled fears.