Makkah Royal Clock Tower (Abraj Al-Bait)
The Makkah Royal Clock Tower Complex, also known as the Abraj Al-Bait Towers, is a mixed residential and hotel complex situated close to Masjid al Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The Makkah Royal Clock Tower Complex, also known as the Abraj Al-Bait Towers, is a mixed residential and hotel complex situated close to Masjid al Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The complex's construction began in 2004 and was completed in 2012. The seven towers that make up the building's structure are raised above podiums. One of the ten tallest skyscrapers in the world, the tallest tower bearing the Makkah Royal Clock is 601 meters above the ground.
The Makkah Royal Clock Tower site encompasses 23ha to the south of the Masjid al Haram. To make way for the tower, the historic Ottoman-era Ajyad Fortress was demolished. The complex covers an area of 2.8 million square meters (21.5 million square feet). The building's seven towers are supported by a 15-story, 115-meter-high podium that houses a grand retail area. The tallest tower, which houses the Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel, is located in the center of the structure. The clock tower is flanked by six other towers: Hajar, ZamZam, Maqam, Qibla, and Marwah. The accompanying towers range in height from 200m to 300m, and the number of floors ranges from 42 to 48.
The 120-story Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel is an impressive building. It is the world's tallest hotel and clock tower, respectively. The clock above the hotel tower is notable for having the largest clock face in the entire world, measuring 43 meters on each side. Approximately two million LED lights are used to illuminate the clock faces. The clock tower is 251 meters tall from the bottom of the clock to the top of the crescent-shaped structure and weighs 36,000 tons. The tower has a 71-meter-tall spire above the clock, raising the building's height to 601 meters above the ground. A 23m-high crescent made of fiberglass-backed mosaic gold is also installed at the top of the tower. The clock tower's top 200m is made of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) composite panels.
The Makkah Clock Tower complex includes residential towers for long-term residents, the Abraj Al Bait shopping center, and a five-star hotel run by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts for Hajj pilgrims. There are more than 1,000 parking spaces available at the structure.
The tower complex also has a large prayer room with seating for more than 10,000 people, an Islamic Museum, and a Lunar Observation Centre. Five times a day, the tower complex's residents typically hold formal prayers. Up to 75,000 residents from all seven towers can exit the building through podiums in a planned manner during each prayer time thanks to Kone's effective people flow solution for the building complex.
There are 79 elevators and 111 extra heavy-duty Transvario escalators on the podium. There are 94 elevators and 16 extra heavy-duty Transvario escalators in the clock tower. There are 12 elevators in the adjacent towers, including two helipad elevators and six extra heavy-duty Transvario escalators.
Year of construction: 2004 to 2012
Total Height: 1972 feet (601 m)
Location: Makkah, Saudi Arabia
