About 95 percent of the Mas'a tier expansions at the Grand Mosque in Makkah has been completed, with the focus now shifting to completing the Mas'a dome before the start of the holy month of Ramadan. The expansion will provide a capacity exceeding 300,000 people per hour on an area of 72,000 sq. meters. The total width of the Mas'a will reach 40 meters over three tiers connected with the ground floor, the first floor and the roof by escalators and lifts. The expansion also includes passageways linked to the eastern courtyard for the bearing of the dead through the Mas'a for funeral prayers, as well as facilities for persons with special needs with modified passageways and four new escalators. The project has also included the demolition of a minaret of the Grand Mosque and the construction of a new minaret 95 meters in height. Other improvements at the northern courtyard of the Grand Mosque are also close to completion, including sanitary facilities to the northwest and 100 stalls for traders selling Miswak close to Jabl Al-Ka'ba. The courtyards are expected to be ready for worshippers in 30 days. Saad Al-Qurashi, Chairman of the Haj and Umrah Committee at the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the expansion of the Mas'a would provide greater comfort and peace of mind for Umrah performers and pilgrims and streamline flow during peak hours in Ramadan and Haj.
