On Monday, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud laid the foundation stone for the expansion of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, marking the beginning of the three-phase construction. Recognised as one of the most religious sites on Earth, the Prophet’s Mosque is one of the largest mosques in the world and was established in the year 622.

The expansion of the Prophet’s Mosque looks to increase capacity to 1.6 million worshippers by 2040, by extending the main building to 614,800 sq m and the combined area of the mosque and surrounding plazas to 1,020,500 sq m. 23 hotels in the vicinity will be removed to make way for this immense three-part expansion project although local media reports suggest the number of rooms lost will be recreated further out.