MADINAH — A three-man committee appraising expropriated buildings for the Prophet's Mosque expansion has started paying compensation to affected property owners. The committee has already distributed compensation to 80 percent of these building owners. According to an official report, the committee, comprising representatives of the governorate, the Commission for Development of Madinah and the Ministry of Finance, is yet to hand compensation to the owners of the Endowment Building 2 and the old Maternity and Children's Hospital. The report said the market value of one square meter of the expropriated land ranges from SR130,000 to SR400,000. The value is determined according to the distance of the buildings from the Prophet's Mosque. Expropriated buildings near the Prophet's Mosque include the 30-year-old Eshqi Building, the Maternity and Children's Hospital located east of the Prophet's Mosque and a number of famous hotels such as the Dallah and Al-Dakhail hotels. These buildings also include a chain of reputable markets in the eastern part of the Haram and King Abdul Aziz Historic Library, which played a substantial role in molding the social culture of Madinah. A report issued by the Commission for the Development of Madinah showed the expansion would significantly contribute to the development of the central zone of the holy city as it will include residential and commercial facilities for visitors very close to the Prophet's Mosque. These facilities will also meet pilgrims' demand for hotels and other accommodation close to the Prophet's Mosque. The expansion plan suggests the central zone should be surrounded by a new ring road from the south, east and north and linked to the old ring road in the west. This will increase the area of the central zone threefold. The value of the expropriated land for the new ring road is put at SR2.8 billion. The central area will include all the services needed by pilgrims such as housing and catering. The expansion will turn the area into a service hub for visitors and pilgrims. Moreover, this will encourage the private sector to redevelop the service facilities already constructed in the area, especially residential and catering facilities. This will also encourage them to form consortia and get involved in other development projects. The comprehensive plan also suggests redesigning undeveloped areas around the central area besides constructing proper roads and other infrastructure. The expansion of the Prophet's Mosque is expected to increase the total capacity to 1.2 million worshipers by 2040. The new expansion will incorporate rich Islamic designs and architecture preserving the sanctity of the mosque.
