MAKKAH — What would have been a beacon of learning and architectural landmark in the holy city of Makkah has turned into a safe haven for stray animals and illegal immigrants. The city›s residents ask why the construction of the building complex for the proposed research center of Umm Al-Qura University has faltered for more than two years even after the government has spent huge amounts of money on the project. The building is located on Taif Road opposite the university›s women›s campus and was intended to be a center for advanced research and learning. The residents urged the authorities to complete the building immediately and save the project. ‘Stray animals have preceded scholars and researchers to the building where they live peacefully along with a number of illegal expatriates,"said Salim Al-Lihaibi. He said people expected to see a unique building where advanced research would be conducted but they see a zoo of cats, rats and dogs in its place instead. Khaled Baksh, another resident, regretted the condition of the building and said nothing has been done to revive the project despite many promises made by the university. He called for the speedy completion of the center, which was to include nine separate buildings for research in Islamic education, medicine and applied sciences, sociology, pharmacology, architectural engineering, Arabic language, Islamic studies and an institute for phycological education and research. Baksh said the building was being constructed by a local firm jointly with an American company and was supposed to be built according to the state-of-the-art technology. He lamented the fact that large sums of public money had been wasted on the construction of the building and modern technology that the university had promised to bring but the project had faltered for more than two years. Khaled Zahir said except for some concrete pillars at the entrance and some prefabricated beams for the roof, there was nothing to indicate that the project was meant be a beacon of learning and knowledge. ‘You will only see some animals and illegal immigrants in the building; nothing more,"he said. The residents lamented that the building has become an eyesore in the holy city, instead of being an architectural landmark.
