New facilities ready for faithful at the Prophet's Mosque

Riyadh: The governor of Madinah, Prince Majid Bin Abdul Aziz, has announced that the eastern square of the Prophet's Mosque, which covers 30,500 square metres, will be ready for prayers during Ramadan.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Prince Majid said the new square would accommodate more than 43,000 worshippers.

The expansion projects ordered by King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz include the development of the eastern square as well as the installation of sunshades in the squares around the Holy Mosque of Madinah.

Prince Majid said that the opening of the eastern square for prayers would reduce crowding within the Holy Mosque, while making for a much more comfortable pilgrimage for visitors.

He said the government and the private sector remained committed to providing all necessary services to visitors in the eastern square.

Parking garage

The new facilities at the square will includes a two-storey underground parking garage that can accommodate more than 380 vehicles and 44 escalators to help pilgrims gain access to the square from the garage.

The project also includes 888 toilets, including those designed for physically challenged pilgrims. A total of 1,823 water faucets have also been provided to facilitate ablutions in the eastern square.