Saudi Arabia's largest ever expansion of the Grand Mosque in Makkah is gathering pace, part of a sweeping transformation of the two holy cities designed to accommodate tens of millions of pilgrims each year. According to a feature published by Gulf Construction, Makkah and Madinah continue to expand not only their mosques but also the hospitality, transport and utilities networks that surround them.
The work is tied directly to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which sets a target of welcoming 30 million Umrah performers and six million Hajj pilgrims annually by the end of the decade. Planners say the holy cities are being prepared to host as many as 36 million pilgrims a year within six years. Delivering that scale requires not just more prayer space but an entire supporting city of hotels, roads, tunnels and services.
A mosque nearly doubling in size
The centrepiece is the Third Saudi Expansion of the Grand Mosque, first launched under King Abdullah and continued under King Salman. According to reports, the project increases the expansion footprint from around 414,000 square metres to roughly 1.564 million square metres.
The prayer area alone is set to grow from about 390,000 square metres to some 912,000 square metres, nearly doubling the space available for worshippers. When complete, the expanded mosque is expected to accommodate a far larger number of pilgrims performing tawaf and prayer at peak times, easing the intense crowding often seen during the last ten nights of Ramadan and the days of Hajj.
The expansion also includes new prayer halls, courtyards, service floors and improved access routes, all engineered to move very large crowds safely through the Haram. Engineers have paid particular attention to the mataf, the area around the Ka'bah where tawaf is performed, which becomes the tightest bottleneck when numbers surge.
Building the city around the Haram
Beyond the mosque itself, several major developments are reshaping the districts surrounding the Haram. According to Gulf Construction, these include the multi-phase Jabal Omar development, now well into its fourth phase, alongside the multi-billion-dollar Masar and Thakher Makkah projects.
These schemes add thousands of hotel rooms, residential units and commercial space within walking distance of the mosque, together with upgraded roads, tunnels and utilities. The aim is to place more pilgrims closer to the Haram while reducing pressure on transport during the busiest days. Improved pedestrian routes are intended to let worshippers walk safely between their accommodation and the mosque without competing with vehicle traffic.
Madinah is undergoing a parallel transformation around the Prophet's Mosque, with expanded accommodation and improved access for those visiting the Rawdah and offering salawat upon the Prophet, peace be upon him. The two cities are increasingly being planned together, linked by the Haramain high-speed railway and a shared strategy for handling seasonal surges.
Short-term disruption, long-term promise
For those planning Umrah or Hajj in the coming years, the construction brings both promise and short-term disruption. Larger prayer areas and better crowd management should eventually make worship calmer and safer. In the meantime, active building sites near the Haram can mean temporary closures, diverted walking routes and changed entrances.
Pilgrims travelling during the transition should expect the layout around the mosque to differ from older guidebooks and photographs. Patience and flexibility go a long way, and the reward of worship in an expanding Haram remains the same as it has always been.
What it means for pilgrims
Practical tips: Allow extra time to reach the mataf, especially during Ramadan and peak Umrah months, and follow signage and the directions of security staff. Book accommodation early, as demand near the Haram remains high and closer hotels fill quickly. Check the Nusuk app for current entry points and any crowd-control measures before setting out, and identify your nearest gate in advance. Keep your group together and agree a meeting point in case you are separated in the crowds.