Reverse Culture Shock

Arabian Construction

SAUDI ARABIA | Monday, 8 July 2013 | Views [421]

Travelers of less means often spend the whole day in and around the Grand Mosque, with their hotels a far distance from the Mosque. Affordable and nearby hotels are less available with the construction phase, as older accommodations have been demolished.

Tags: grand mosque, saudi arabia

Inside the Masjid-al Haram or Grand Mosque, the holiest site for Muslims. Pilgrims on the ground floor circle the Kaabah as part of the Umrah pilgrimage. While performing the pilgrimage, the men must cover themselves with two pieces of white cloth so as to eliminate any distinction of differences in wealth or status, while the women wear simple abayas.

With the large influx of pilgrims, the Saudi Kingdom initiated a new development project which will knock down many of these pillars and archways built by Turkish craftsmen, so as to expand the walking area around the Kaabah.

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Saudi Arabia's dependence on cheap foreign labour means that The Makkah Development Plan, at a cost of 26.6bn, is being constructed by the thousands of men hailing from South Asia. Construction tends to break in the daytime due to the intense Arabian heat.

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Reverse Culture Shock

Arabian Construction

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