Pilgrims arriving at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah can now leave their bags at dedicated luggage storage centers free of charge. The General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque has opened five storage centers to ease movement inside the holy sites and reduce crowding at entrances.
Where the centers are located
Four of the five centers serve the Grand Mosque in Makkah. According to the authority, they are distributed across strategic points: the western courtyard behind restroom No. 6, Ajyad Street next to restroom No. 1, the eastern courtyard near the Makkah Library, and the services building in the third Saudi expansion after Chute 3. Placing the centers around the perimeter is intended to give pilgrims an option close to whichever gate they use.
The authority has also set up designated luggage drop-off points at several main entrances of the Grand Mosque, including King Abdulaziz Gate (Gate 1), King Fahd Gate (Gate 79), the Umrah Gate, and Gate 100. At the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah, a new storage center has been placed between Exit 365 and Exit 366 to serve visitors moving in and out of that section of the mosque.
How the service works
The basic luggage storage service is provided free of charge. According to the authority, each center accepts items weighing up to 7 kilograms, and luggage may be stored for a maximum of four hours per session. The limits are designed to keep the service flowing for the largest possible number of pilgrims, rather than allowing long-term storage that would quickly fill the centers.
The initiative reflects a recurring challenge at the Two Holy Mosques. Many pilgrims arrive directly from the airport, a hotel checkout, or a long bus journey while still carrying bags, and they are often reluctant to set them down inside crowded prayer areas. Secure, supervised storage lets worshippers perform tawaf, prayer and visits unencumbered, and it reduces the safety hazard of bags left unattended in walkways.
Part of a broader service push
The luggage centers sit within a much larger operation to care for worshippers at the holy sites. The authority manages tens of thousands of Zamzam water containers, prayer rugs, restrooms, escalators and wheelchairs across the two mosques, supported by a large workforce. Services such as luggage storage are expanded during peak periods, including Ramadan and the post-Hajj season, when visitor numbers surge.
Practical tips
Pilgrims planning to use the service should keep valuables, identification, phones and medication on their person rather than in stored bags, and travel as light as possible to stay within the 7-kilogram limit. Note the four-hour window and the exact center used, since centers are spread around the mosque and it is easy to lose track of which gate is nearest. Those arriving straight from the airport or checking out of a hotel will find the drop-off points at the main gates the most convenient, allowing them to enter for prayer or tawaf without carrying their belongings inside.