Mega project in Mecca: this will be the largest hotel in the world

September 2, 2024, 3:42 pm | Read time: 2 minutes

The Venetian in Las Vegas is currently the largest hotel in the world, with around 7,100 rooms. The Abraj Kudai, which is expected to open in Mecca in 2017, would top this figure by almost 3,000 rooms. Cost of the project: 3.5 billion dollars.

The competition for the largest hotel in the world enters a new round. Since 2008, The Venetian in Las Vegas, with 7128 rooms, has been the largest hotel in the world. This is in terms of the number of rooms. But this reign is soon to end – a new challenger in Mecca is poised to take the crown.

In 2019/2020, the 10,000-room “Abraj Kudai” hotel complex is set to open in the Saudi Arabian pilgrimage city. It will be just two kilometers (1.2 miles) from the famous al-Haram mosque, breaking all records. In addition to accommodation, the twelve-tower complex designed by the Dar Al Handasah design office also offers restaurants, a shopping mall, a food court, a conference center, parking spaces, and a bus stop.

Hoch, höher, Abraj Kudai: 2017 soll in Mekka das größte Hotel der Welt eröffnen — Soaring to new heights, Abraj Kudai: the world’s largest hotel is slated to open its doors in Mecca in 2017. Photo: photo courtesy of dar al – handasah

Beyond the standard floors, this opulent hotel, towering at up to 44 stories, will feature exclusive VIP levels. These levels will be adorned with sumptuous residential suites. Because the city of Mecca has great religious significance in Islam, prayer halls are also planned in the twelve towers. Crowning the complex are state-of-the-art helipads. Total cost: around 3.5 billion US dollars.

Zwar gibt es in dem Hotelkomplex ausreichend Parkplätze. Wer jedoch lieber mit dem Heli anreisen will, für den gibt es auf den Türmen extra Hubschrauberlandeplätze — The hotel complex boasts an abundance of parking spaces. However, for those who prefer to arrive by helicopter, there are extra helipads on the towers. Photo: photo courtesy of dar al – handasah

During the Hajj, Mecca swells with fervor as millions of Muslims embark on their sacred pilgrimage to the holy sites within Saudi Arabia. While the “minor pilgrimage”, called Umra, can take place at any time of the year, the “major pilgrimage”, the Hajj, is only possible during the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah, which this year would be at the end of September.

Up to three million people visit the city at this time; not even the 10,000 rooms in the new mega-building are enough to accommodate all the guests. Yet, with the unveiling of the “Abraj Kudai”, Mecca will transform once more, becoming a beacon for enthusiasts of hotel design and architecture.

The original version of this article was published in 2015.

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of TRAVELBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@travelbook.de.