Saudi Arabia embarks on massive projects in Mecca and Medina - Middle East - World - The Independent

King Abdullah, Saudi's 88-year-old monarch, laid the foundation stone this week to mark the expansion of the Prophet's mosque in Medina from a current capacity of 200,000 worshipers to 1.8 million, the state news agency reported.

While the total cost of the project has not been disclosed, Saudi officials estimate that the state may have to pay out as much as $6.6 billion in compensation alone for the expropriation of lands, which will reportedly include the demolition of 23 hotels.

But officials hope that the grandiose expansion project, which will take place in three stages starting next month, will pay off, attracting thousands more tourists, an increasingly important source of revenue, to the kingdom.

At the same time, the oil-rich state has ambitious plans for Mecca, which attracts millions of Muslim pilgrims every year. The government is inviting bids there to build a large renewable energy plant, with a key component dedicated to solar energy, a first step towards achieving its stated ambition of becoming a solar powerhouse.

Saudi Arabia embarks on massive projects in Mecca and Medina - Middle East - World - The Independent