menuju masjid al haram makkah: Mataf Expansion Project

-The proposition of a project to increase the capacity of the mataf was shown to King Abdullah in Ramadhan 1432 Hijri who directed to start implementing it.

-King Abdullah assigned the Ministry of Higher Education, General Authority of Masjid al Haram and Masjid al Nabawi and Saudi Bin Laden Group (Working team) to finish the studies on developing the proposed solution.

-The working team recommended a number of studies which were presented to King Abdullah, as follows:

1-Studies regarding air movement in Mataf Expansion and First Saudi Expansion.
2-Studies regarding the building structure of the First Saudi Expansion.
3-Studies regarding Automated systems for Tawaf and Sa'ee for people with special needs.
4-Studies regarding systems for shading the new mataf and the roof of Haram.
5-Studies regarding crowd movement through an integrated system beginning from outside Masjid-al-Haram and the areas surrounding it.

-King Abdullah ordered that these recommended studies be conducted urgently.

-The proposed design was shown to the Supreme Hajj Committee after the Hajj Season of 1432H and they ordered to conduct studies regarding increasing the width of the

Mataf with repititive floors and studies regarding re-building the structure of the First Saudi Expansion.

-The team of Ministry of Higher Education and General Authority of Masjid-al-Haram and Masjid-al-Nabawi arranged a work shop with the Security forces in the month of

Rabi-ul-awwal 1433H to inform them about the proposed design and to take their opinion and to find out their demands.

-The meetings of the working team continued in order to develop the proposed solution including the observations and recommendations of the security forces. Some of

the important observations which were taken into account are:
1-Studying and assessing of the structural system of the First Saudi Expansion.
2-Paying attention to crowd movement and fragmentation of human blocks inside and outside Masjid-al-Haram.
3-To Facilitate the entry and exit movement in the entrances of the Masjid al Haram building so as to provide safety and security to the visitors.
4-Preparing passages and roads leading to Masjid al Haram and developing a guidance system to facilitate the arrival and departure.
5-Developing a system for shading the mataf courtyard and the roof of Masjid al Haram and the external squares surrounding it.
6-Providing specific and separate passages to people with special needs and the elderly and developing an automated system to serve them.
7-The importance of linking (the Mataf) with the Third Saudi Expansion and activating the basement level.

-The Ministry team assigned a number of consulting offices (in the field of structural studies and supporting and re-enforcing structures) to study and assess the structural system of the First Saudi Expansion and its ability to cope with the above-mentioned demands. The results of this study suggested that the current structure was unable to support additional upper floors and future demands.

-The Ministry team and a representative of the Genral Authority recommended that the First Saudi Expansion should be rebuilt complying with the same standards that were used in building the Third Saudi Expansion.

-Based on the above, the proposed project was developed to raise the capacity of the Mataf and the parts attatched to it. Part 1/2

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Current State
First Saudi Expansion