"The growth of Mecca's infrastructure has occurred alongside the development of non-religious activities like shopping, cultural tourism and the showcasing of natural areas." "The rate can reach $25,000," said one Saudi source.Īcademic Luc Chantre, author of several books about contemporary Mecca, said that "since the 1930s, the pilgrimage has increasingly become a religious tourism phenomenon". The development is home to one of the tallest towers in the world with its distinctive clockface 35 times the size of the timepiece on London's Queen Elizabeth Tower, commonly known as Big Ben.Ĭreated by the Binladin Group, which has ties to the family of slain Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, the development saw the demolition of the historic Othoman Ajyad fort which provoked a diplomatic spat between Turkey and Saudi Arabia.Įxperts estimate that as many as 95 percent of Mecca's historic buildings have been demolished to make way for modern-era construction.Īnd though luxury conditions are available for the super-rich, many pilgrims are lodged in basic, sometimes less than sanitary dormitories.Ī number of tour operators even offer VIP packages for an "exceptional pilgrimage" with a room overlooking the Kaaba" with a price tag of several thousand dollars. Mecca's most opulent hotels are located within the vast Abraj al-Bait (Kaaba Towers) skyscraper complex which opened to guests in 2012, or near it. Room rates are more than $1,000 per night in the high season. The premium properties were fully booked for the duration of this year's haj and next year's pilgrimage, but also for a dozen days before and after. Luxury accommodation has mushroomed in Mecca in recent years with a proliferation of high-end skyscraper hotels in the vicinity of the Grand Mosque - often with "panoramic" views.
Read also: Indonesia very important market for luxury hotels in MeccaĪt another similarly prestigious hotel, guests are offered a "pilgrimage area" complete with a view "of Islam's holiest site.
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