Umbrellas to provide shade in summer By Ahmad Wahaj Al-Siddiqui Saudi Gazette MAKKAH — King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has allocated a sum of SR1.76 billion for the ongoing Grand Mosque expansion projects, Dr. Muhammad Bin Nasir Al-Khuzayyam, Deputy President of the General Presidency of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, has said. Talking to the Saudi Gazette here Monday, Al-Khuzayyam said the projects would see the introduction of a new electromechanical system. The expansion would involve modern Islamic architecture in the north of the Grand Mosque covering an area of 400,000 sq. meters. It includes not only the expansion of the mosque's structure but would add more space to the surrounding plazas and construction of bridges to ease the movement of the pedestrians and their entry into the Mosque. Huge automatic umbrellas will provide shade to the worshippers during summer heat, he said adding that the new extension will consist of escalators and lifts from ground floor to the terrace of the Grand Mosque. New taps will be installed to supply cold Zamzam water around the Holy Mosque and the open plazas, Al-Khuzayyam said. Over 1.2 million more worshippers could be accommodated in the mosque when the expansion projects would be completed, he said. A sum of SR224 million has been allocated for different development projects, he said. Out of this, SR23 million will be spent on opening of new channels on Internet and upgrading the existing ones with update information about the work of the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques. New carpets will also be laid out at a cost of SR104 million. The factory for making Kiswa covering for the Ka'ba has been allocated SR12 million for upgrading its infrastructure and SR19 million will be spent to expand warehouses of the Grand Mosque. For the Prophet's Mosque in Madina, a grant of SR35 million has been provided for more electrically-operated umbrellas. For improving telecommunication system, new instruments worth SR10 million are being provided, Dr. Khazayyam said. __
