Abraj Al Bait Towers

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This article or section contains information about expected future buildings or structures. It is likely to contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change as the building approaches completion.

Abraj Al Bait Towers

Technical Data
Structural height	485 m (1,591 ft) (est.)
Height to tip	485 m (1,591 ft) (est.)
Height to roof	Unknown
Height to top floor	Unknown
Floors (Above ground)	76
Floors (Under ground)	Unknown
Groundbreaking	2004
Topout	2008 (est.)
Opening	2008 (est.)
Gross floor area	1,500,000 m²
Companies
Developer	Unknown
Architect	Dar Al Handasah Architects
Construction Contractor	Saudi BinLaden Group

The Abraj Al Bait Towers, when completed, will be located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It will be the biggest (not tallest) building in the world by mass, it will be the tallest building in Saudi Arabia and one of the tallest buildings in the world, surpassing the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia which held the title as world's tallest building between 1998 and 2003.

The Abraj Al Bait Towers will be most notable for its prime location. The site of the structure is across the street from the entrance to the Masjid al Haram, which houses the Kabaa, the holiest site in Islam and the building towards which all Muslims face during prayer. In fact, bait in Arabic means house, in reference to Kabaa. As a result, the Abraj Al Bait Towers will have a large prayer room capable of holding nearly four thousand worshippers. It will contain a five-star hotel to help accommodate the over two million pilgrims who participate in hajj each year.

In addition, the Abraj Al Bait Towers will have a four-story shopping mall and a parking garage capable of holding over eight hundred vehicles. Residential towers will house permanent residents while two heliports and a conference center would accommodate business travellers. In total, up to 65,000 people would be housed inside the Towers.

The Al Bait Towers are expected to rise to a towering 485 m when completed. The buildings construction is already underway and should be completed before 2009.

Towers

Construction Diagram

1. Hotel Tower 485 m (2008)
2. Hajar 260 m (2007)
3. ZamZam 260 m (2006)
4. Qiblah 240 m (2008)
5. Sarah 240 m (2008)
6. Marwah 240 m (2006)
7. Safa 240 m (2007)

External links

• [abrajalbait.com] - Official Website
• [Skyscrapers.cn: Al Bait Towers] (Chinese w/ pictures)
• [SkyscraperPage.com: Abraj Al Bait Towers]

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