MADINAH — The Madinah Region Development Authority (MRDA) has announced the plan for implementing the first phase of the King Salman Project for the Quba Mosque Expansion. With the new expansion that includes developing the mosque's surroundings, the total area of the mosque will be increased by 10 times with a capacity to accommodate 66,000 worshipers. More than 200 real estate properties will be expropriated for the first phase of the expansion project. The authority urged owners of real estate located within the project site to vacate their properties and contact the property department at the authority to finalize the procedures for compensation. The first phase of the mosque expansion included expropriation of more than 200 real estate properties, while the authority is working within the plan to preserve and increase the number of palm trees and farms in order to integrate them with the mosque complex, in addition to preserving historical sites and linking them with the mosque. The MRDA gave a month for the owners of properties that are marked for expropriation before disconnecting water, electricity and other utility services in the beginning of Rajab, prior to their demolition. The King Salman Project for the Quba Mosque Expansion covers a number of endowment and historical farms in addition to the houses adjacent to the mosque. Addressing the opening dialogue session of the Madinah Projects Exhibition titled MEDEX 2022 last Thursday, Emir of Madinah Prince Faisal bin Salman spoke about the ambitious Quba Mosque expansion, saying that the project will come to light within a few months. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman attached special importance to the project while Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman launched the project in the beginning of Ramadan in 2022. It took approximately a period of six to seven years to complete the studies on the Quba Mosque expansion. The Council of Ministers approved last July the transfer of the task of supervising the Quba Mosque to the MRDA instead of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance, and it is expected that the maintenance and operation tasks of the mosque will be transferred by the ministry to the authority. The Quba Mosque is the first mosque supervised by the authority while it is considered as the second largest mosque after the Prophet's Mosque in the Madinah region. Last Ramadan, the Crown Prince announced the expansion plan for the Quba Mosque to accommodate 66,000 worshipers, with an increase of its total area by 10 times. With the completion of the expansion project, Quba Mosque will become the third largest mosque in Saudi Arabia, in terms of the capacity after the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah. The expansion project aims to accommodate the largest number of worshipers during the peak seasons and highlighting the religious importance. The historical characteristics of the Quba Center will be preserved with its urban and architectural style, and the historical monuments located near the mosque will be protected.
