floor building collapses in a cloud of dust in Makkah's Gaza district Thursday morning as part of the expansion project of the northern plaza of the Grand Mosque area. The building was destroyed in a controled explosion. The northern wing of the Grand Mosque will be expanded as part of the modernization of Jabal Omar, Jabal Khandamah, Darb Al-Khalil and its adjacent road, and the Mas'a area. Expansion of the Grand Mosque and its surrounding areas is part of the 10-year modernization plan announced earlier this year by Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah. Over the next five years, the central area in Makkah will attract modernization projects at a cost of SR100 billion. – Photo by Saleh Ba
