• The extension executed by the Order of King Fahd helps in accommodating the increasing numbers of pilgrims and visitors. More than 70 billion Riyals have been spent during the past ten years to expand and build the Holy Mosque and Prophet’s Mosque, and develop the surrounding areas, constructing roads, tunnels and bridges and other service utilities.

• The big extensions and improvements executed at the two Holy Mosques the Holy Mosque in Makkah Al-Mokaramah and Prophet’s Mosque in Al Madinah Al Munawara and other holy places, truly express the real meaning of the title “Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques” for King Fahad Ibn Abdul Aziz. One may think that this title honors the religious feature of the government in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but its true meaning can be interpreted by the continuous care serving the holy Islamic places and the Qeblah of Muslims which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia look after.

  The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques has attained the love and appreciation of the Islamic world for the great works and the continuous good efforts he did and is still doing and which are being embodied by his contributions for serving Islam and Muslims in all domains and fields. The works seen in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and all over the world are a physical evidence that this country is shouldering its historical responsibility with both its spiritual and materialistic dimensions.

  This is a continuation of the approach of the founder of this country. King Abdel Aziz, his sons have followed his path after him. It is an approach based on stable rules derived from the Holy Book of Allah and the Sunnab of his Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him), followed by the good predecessors and the leaders and people of this country by stable faith and solid determination after centuries of weakness. Adopting this approach has been reflected in the security, stability and development in all aspects of life in the Kingdom. It is also manifested in the continuous care for the Holy Places of Muslims and exerting endless efforts for looking after them. Muslims will not forget as well the efforts of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for maintaining the first Qiblah and the third Holy Mosque (the Honorable Aqsa Mosque).

Extension of the Two Holy Mosques:

  The Saudi extension projects for the two Holy Mosques started only a few years after the foundation of the Kingdom. In 1354H (19340) King Abdul Aziz ordered to carry out overall repair and improvement works in the Holy Mosque in Makkah Al Mokaramah, and in 1368H (19480) His Majesty declared his intention to expand the Honorable Prophet Mosque in Al-Madinah Al Monawarah. The execution of the project started in 1370H (19510) and the extension and building works were completed in 1375H(1955G), the extension added an area of 12271 m2 to the Mosque, such that, after the expansion, the area of the Honorable Prophet Mosque has become 16 500 m2. While the work was in progress King Abdul Aziz ordered to carry out an overall extension to the Holy Mosque. The works have been executed in three stages in 1375H, 1379H, and 1381H.Anareaofl5l 000m2hasbeenadded such that the total area of the Holy Mosque in Makkah, after this extension, has become 193 000 m2. The overall repair and improvement works have continued during the time of King Faisal and King Khalid, but the largest extension ever done in the two Holy Mosques is the one ordered by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahad Ibn Abdul Aziz. Its extension cost more than 70 billion Riyals for expropriations, developing the areas surrounding the two Holy Mosques, and constructing the roads, tunnels and bridges and other service facilities, which helped in accommodating the increasing numbers of pilgrims, Omrah seekers and visitors.

  On the 2nd of Safar 1409H (19890) The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques laid the foundation stone for the Holy Mosque extension. project in Makkah which included:

• Adding a new part to the Holy Mosque building from the western side. The extension building floor area amounts to 76,000 m2 divided on the ground floor, first floor, basement and roof and can accommodate about 152, 000 prayers.

  The external yards with a total area of 85 800 m2 can accommodate 190,000 prayers. Thus the total area of the Holy Mosque after extension, has become 356,000 m2 that can accommodate 773,000 prayers in normal times and more than one million prayers at rush times during Hajj or the month of Ramadan.

  The extension building includes a main entrance and 18 normal entrances, in addition to the already existing entrances before the extension (3 main entrances and 27 main entrances), it also includes two new minarets 89 m high, their architectural design is similar to that of the other seven minarets existing before the extension, such that the minarets in the Holy Mosque are now 9. –

• Two escalator buildings have been added. Each one is 375 m2 and consists of two groups of escalators, the capacity of each being 15000 person/hour, so the total escalators are 7 spread around the Holy Mosque circumference and extension for serving the first floor prayers, in addition to the fixed 8 stairs units.

  The Holy Mosque building currently consists of three floors , the basement is 4.30 m high, the ground floor is 9.80 m high and the first floor is 9.64 m high, in addition to the extension roof which is marble tiled for the prayers to use it.

  Three domes have been added parallel to the main entrances, each one is 13 m high and has openings in its whole circumference. Lighting in the Mosque relies on a total of 6930 units of chandeliers and lamps.

• Creating a new system for cooling the air, which is based on pushing the cool air from high land and distribute it at high level around the columns, for this purpose a station has been built in Ajar District which consists of a number of cooling machines, cold water pumps and an automatic operation and control center with a capacity of 13 500 tons.

• A new water closet in a 2 storey building has been built north of Al-Masaa yards with a total area of 14,000 m2. This building consists of 1440 water closets, 1091 ablution points and 162 potable water fountains. Special water closets for ladies have been made with separate entrances to avoid ladies mixing with men.

  In addition to the audio facilities and the speakers spread all over the Mosque, an internal broadcasting network has been installed in appropriation with the area of extension and it has been consolidated with the old network.

  Two power sub stations have been built on both sides of the expansion, each one consists of 3 transformers, the capacity of each one is 1.6 megawatt, which supply a standby capacity of 100% of the loads.

Extension of the Honorable Prophet Mosque:

  On 9th of Safar 1405H (2/11/19840), the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques has laid the foundation stone for the extension project of the Honorable Prophet Mosque, In the following year, definitely on 6th Moharam 1406H (September 1985G) work has started in constructing this huge project, which has been awarded to the Saudi Bin Laden Group, includes:

• Adding a new building that surrounds and is to be connected with the Mosque from the north, east and west with an area of 82,000 m2 that accommodates 150,000 prayers, so the total area of the ground floor in the Mosque is 98, 500 m2 that accommodate 180 000 prayers. The extension roof has been used for prayer with an area of 67,000 m2 that accommodate 90 000 prayers. Thus the capacity of the Mosque is more than 270, 000 prayers on a total area of 165,500 m2. The extension also includes constructing a basement with the same area of the extension ground floor so as to the extension ground floor so as to accommodate the air conditioning equipment and other services.

  7 main entrances have been constructed, one of them is “King Fahad Ibn Abdul Aziz” entrance which is the main entrance of the expansion, seven domes are placed distinguishably above this entrance. Each entrance has seven gates, 5 of them are adjacent and two side gates, other than two entrances from the southern side, each of them has three adjacent gates in addition to 10 side gates and other 12 gates for the entrances and exits of the stairs that lead to the extension roof and other 18 internal stairs. In addition to six buildings for escalators which include 24 escalators.

• 6 new minarets (each is 105 m high) have been constructed, they are (33m) higher than the minarets of the first Saudi extension, thus there are now 10 minarets in the Mosque. - 27 moving domes have been added to the Mosque (each one weighs 80 tons that cover an area of324 m2), these domes can move on steel tracks fixed on the extension roof, they can be opened and closed electrically by remote control, which allows for natural ventilation when the weather is fine - The yards surrounding the Mosque (235,000 m2) have been covered with heat-reflecting marble and granite in Islamic engineering shapes and in different colors.

• These yards are for prayer and can accommodate about 430, 000 prayers, thus the capacity of the Mosque and its surrounding yards is more than 700,000 prayers and about one million prayers in the seasons. - These yards have entrances to the absolution areas, there are 6,800 absolution units, 2,500 water closets and 560 fountains for the cold potable water, in addition to the 2 storey car parks underground, which can accommodate more than 4,000 cars. The car parks are equipped with mobile and fixed TV monitoring system connected with main monitoring rooms and traffic control system to direct the car traffic.

• The Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques - King Fahad Ibn Abdul Aziz has placed the last brick in the project on 5/11/1414H (16/4/1994H), and the Honorable Prophet Mosque has become a shinning pearl on the earth of good Taibah (Al-Madinah Al-Monawarah).