Supported by Princes and top government officials, Saudi Arabia’s real estate developers are considering the demolition of some of Islam’s historic sites in Makkah.


The 1,400-year-old buildings from the early Islamic period are at risk for being demolished to make way for high-rise towers for Muslims flocking to perform the Hajj. As said by a historian in Makkah: “Its layers of history are being bulldozed for a parking lot”. Over the past 50 years at least 300 historical buildings have been levelled in Makkah and Madinah.A 1994 edict by the Kingdom’s senior council of religious scholars, ruled that preserving historical buildings might lead to polytheism. This edict is conveniently being used by real estate developers to expand their projects. Developers are spending around 50 billion riyals ($13 billion) on projects in the city for hotels, apartments and shops.