Fairmont Hotels & Resorts on Friday announced a new hotel in Makkah will open this fall. The hotel is the focal point of the iconic Abraj Al-Bait Complex, which is part of the King Abdul Aziz Endowment Project whose mandate is to upgrade the precincts of the Two Holy Mosques. The complex includes seven towers with a total floor space equal to 15.6 million square feet and adjacent to the Masjid Al-Haram. The Makkah Clock Royal Tower, a Fairmont Hotel, will be among the world's tallest towers with 76 stories reaching 577 meters high. Its unique and distinctive features will ensure a landmark presence, including a 40-meter clock, visible from 17 kilometers away and more than five times larger than Big Ben in London. The Makkah Clock will announce daily prayers to the Muslim world and the Lunar Observation Center and Islamic Museum will serve to protect the heritage for future generations. Housing 1,005 guestrooms and suites, the hotel will feature Fairmont Gold, the company's exclusive “hotel within a hotel”, and numerous dining outlets. Elegantly designed and offering unparalleled service, the property will welcome pilgrims and guests with a variety of leisure and business facilities, including unrivalled conference and banquet facilities that will accommodate over 1,500 attendees. The hotel's 76 elevators will provide comfortable transfers during high occupancy periods and calls to prayer. The project is being developed by Saudi Bin Ladin Company (SBC). Fairmont's parent company, Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, is majority owned by Kingdom Holding Company chaired Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal. “We are honored to have been entrusted with the management of this extraordinary hotel project, which is the culmination of our long-term partnership with Kingdom and its relationship with SBC,” said William Fatt, CEO of Fairmont Raffles Hotels International. “We are delighted to be working with SBC, renowned for their extensive efforts in transforming and developing the region.”
