The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz today launched five projects as part of the Third Saudi Expansion for the Grand Mosque in Makkah. The projects include expansion of buildings, squares, tunnels, service buildings and a ring road. The expansion include 1,470,000 square meters (15.8 million sq. ft.) and will accommodates 1.85 million worshipers.

The main building of the expansion project consists of six floors for praying, 680 escalators and 24 elevators for the people with special needs and 21,000 toilets and places of ablution.

At the launching ceremony for the expansion projects, Sheikh Abdurrahman bin Abdulaziz Al-Sudais, General President of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosques, said that these historic achievements will have great and positive impact to highlight pioneering role of this blessed country and its Islamic message in spreading security, moderation, peace, love, tolerance, dialogue, harmony and convenience.