Massive Expansion Completed, Grand Mosques Are The Most Expensive Buildings In The World

Renovation of the expansion of open areas surrounding the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque (mataf), Makkah, Saudi Arabia carried out by PT Waskita Karya (Persero). (ANTARA/HO-Waskita)

JAKARTA For the first time in almost two decades, the Grand Mosque in Makkah was clean from random, after the so-called largest renovation project in history was completed.

This year's Hajj feels different from previous years, since 2010 to be exact, when the faucets added to the denseness of the Grand Mosque. Almost every side of the holiest place for Muslims is decorated with faucete.

The last crane, which is a symbol of one of the biggest expansion projects in the history of the Grand Mosque, was moved in March, precisely in the last days of Ramadan 2025. This transfer of Crane marks the completion of the Third Saudi Expansion.

"This is an important moment," said Saad Al Qurashi, adviser to the National Hajj and Umrah Committee under the Saudi Chambers Union.

"The unloading of these cranes is on time, especially as Mecca has received a surge in worshipers over the past 10 days of Ramadan," added Al Qurashi.

This expansion, which accommodates more than two million pilgrims, is proof of the Saudi Arabian Kingdom's commitment to serve God's Guests.

This massive expansion began in 2010 by spending thousands of trillions of funds. According to a number of sources, the construction of the Grand Mosque surrounding the Kaaba cost about 100 billion US dollars or around Rp. 1,624 trillion.

According to the Statista, the construction of the Grand Mosque is the most expensive in the world, beating other well-known buildings such as Marina Bay Sand in Singapore and Apple Park in the US.

This Third Saudi expansion aims to increase the capacity of mosques to accommodate an increase in the number of pilgrims from around the world, especially at the peak of Umrah and Hajj.

The Third Saudi expansion is the largest since the founding of modern Saudi Arabia. This expansion was carried out under the direction of King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

This expansion increases the capacity of mosques to two million pilgrims. Previously, the Grand Mosque was only able to accommodate around 670,000 worshipers.

The splendor of the Grand Mosque can be seen from its unique architecture. There are four main doors and 45 additional doors that are open 24 hours. In addition, of the total 22 domes, 12 of them are made of glass.

Quoting Gulf News, the area of the Haram Mosque building increased from 414 thousand square meters to more than 1.56 million square meters. The wrong space was expanded to 912 thousand square meters. In addition, supporting facilities also experienced a drastic increase. Toilets, for example, increased from 3,515 to 16,726, and ablution places from 2,479 to 12,639.

However, in the process, the crane at the Grand Mosque was a disaster. In the 2015 Hajj season, a crane fell and killed hundreds of worshipers.

Despite completing a massive expansion, there is one name of an architect whose name is still a role model today. He is Dr. Mohamed Kamal Ismail, an architect from Egypt who was chosen by the late King Fahd to oversee the expansion of the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina from September 1988.

He is the first engineer from Egypt to replace foreign engineers in his country. After graduating from high school, young Ismail entered a royal engineering school and pursued his doctorate in architecture in Europe.

When asked by King Fahd to expand the buildings of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque, the man born in 1908 did not expect any wages. Even when Raja Fahd and Bin Laden's company offered a blank check, he refused.

"If I take the money for the two holy mosques, how will I hide this face from our God," said Ismail.

Ismail is also the one who initiated the use of marble as the floor of the Grand Mosque to overcome the hot weather in Saudi Arabia. A rare white Marmer who is not only famous for its lust, but also has the ability to cool a hot exposed building imported from Greece.

Raja Fahd then asked Ismail to use the same white marble at the Prophet's Mosque.