Second tallest skyscraper in the world for Mecca

The Mecca Royal Clock Tower (pictured) will consist of a reinforced concrete structure 662 meters high, to be completed by June. To this a metal spiral structure 155 meters high will be added, inside which a clock 45 feet wide and 43 high will be placed. Six feet larger than the famous Big Ben in London. The clock is to be set in motion in the middle of August, just days before the start of the holy month of Ramadan.

The skyscraper will be only 11 meters lower than the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the tallest tower in the world that opened in January. However, the concrete structure of the skyscraper alone makes it the second tallest building in the world, the Taipei 101 in Taiwan island is only 508 meters high. The management of the hotel complex - seven towers, including 3 thousand rooms and suites, at a cost of around 3 billion dollars - is entrusted to Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. Most of the rooms seem to look down directly on the Grand Mosque, to encourage prayer for the guests.

But the real source of pride for builders, in this race to the sky launched by Arab nations, is the large clock tower that will stand at its summit. German-made, it will be "the largest in the world" said Mohammed al-Arkubi, general manager of the hotel, and will be placed on all four sides of the building. It will also be visible at a distance of  17 km by day12 km and at night. He declares that "Putting Mecca time in the face of Greenwich Mean Time, this is the goal”.