The house of Saud is pulling out all the stops to strengthen its legitimacy as the tsunami of revolution sweeps Arabia. As the self-proclaimed "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques" in Mecca, protecting and developing the Grand Mosque is a way of underscoring the royal family's God-given right to rule. But trouble is closing in all around the royals.
This summer King Abdullah dedicated the new Royal Clock Tower in Mecca. The world’s second-tallest building (behind Dubai), it measures over six hundred meters and can be seen from all parts of the city. Bigger than Big Ben, it’s a symbol of Saudi power for every hajji making the pilgrimage to Mecca.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques also announced plans to expand the Grand Mosque of Mecca. Currently it can hold 800,000 worshipers; when completed, the new expansion will allow 2 million people to worship at one time. Some 10,000 workers are now engaged round-the-clock in the largest expansion project in the mosque’s history by far.
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