Prophet’s Mosque expansion plan underway
Special government committee will record and evaluate real estate around the Prophet’s mosque
RELATED ARTICLES: Rising costs threaten Saudi real-estate market | New Makkah projects will cater for more pilgrims | Saudi King orders immediate start to Prophet’s Mosque expansion A special government committee will record and evaluate the real estate units in Madinah which fall under the project to expand the Prophet’s Mosque, and develop the underdeveloped districts, the Saudi Arabian Finance Ministry has said. A report in Al Madinah newspaper, quoting sources from the Finance Ministry, said that the demolishing of housing units to the east of the mosque had already started, and would soon be completed and extended to the north and northeastern areas, close to the King Abdulaziz Library. While the southern side of the mosque, which consists of hotels in the Central Area, will not be affected, all underdeveloped districts within the radius of the Ring Road (Prince Abdul Majeed Street) will be demolished. The results of an aerial survey of the area around the Mosque is in its final stages and the units to be demolished for the structure’s expansion will be published in local newspapers. The acquisition of land would pass through four stages – the aerial survey, announcements in newspapers, enumeration and evaluation of the housing units and registration of the marked lands in the name of the government, said the report. The northern districts would be demolished in three phases within three years, and the evaluation of the real estate units would be done by the government committee which had evaluated the housing unit in Makkah for the expansion of the Grand Mosque, said the report. The project to develop the underdeveloped districts will be the largest of its kind, aimed at uplifting the real estate economy in Madinah.