Mecca

Mecca is a city of great religious importance and active activity, the headquarters of Mecca Province in western Saudi Arabia. Following Riyadh and Jeddah, it is the third most populous city in Saudi Arabia with a 2.4 million metropolitan count by 2022. Nestled in a small valley at 277 meters above sea level, this holy city is 70 kilometers inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea.

Mecca’s particular worldwide Islamic center status is reflected in its demographic makeup. Saudi nationals make about 44.5% of the population; the remaining 55.5% are Muslim immigrants from many nations. This varied blend emphasizes Mecca’s function as a melting pot of Islamic cultures and languages.

One cannot exaggerate Mecca’s importance in Islam. Honored as the Prophet Muhammad’s birthplace, it is sometimes referred to as “the fountainhead and cradle of Islam.” The Ka’bah, a cubic construction thought by Muslims to have been erected by Abraham and Ishmael, is housed in the Great Mosque of Mecca, sometimes known as the Masjid al-Haram. Emphasizing Mecca’s essential part in Islamic worship, the Ka’bah is the qibla, the direction of prayer used by Muslims everywhere.

Mecca’s religious significance transcends its architectural features. Muslims say the Quran was initially revealed to Muhammad in the Hira cave, perched atop the Jabal al-Nur (“Mountain of Light”), just outside the city. Along with the city itself, this landmark is absolutely essential to Islamic history and practice.

The yearly Hajj pilgrimage is among Mecca’s most important religious functions. Observed in the twelfth Hijri month of Dhūl-Ḥijjah, this pilgrimage is required of all able Muslims to perform at least once in their lifetime. The population of the city expands greatly over this time, more than tripling in scale. The flood of pilgrims makes Mecca a hive of spiritual activity and cultural interaction.

The visitor figures of the city clearly show its popularity as a religious destination. Mecca ranked among the ten most visited cities worldwide in 2023 when it welcomed over 10.8 million foreign visitors. This amazing number emphasizes the worldwide importance of the city and its capacity to draw millions of devoted people from all around.

Mecca has been a sought-after prize for different Muslim leaders throughout its past. As several powers aspired to rule this holy location, the city and the neighboring Hejaz area have seen many changes in their governments. The most recent notable alteration happened in 1925 when Ibn Saud and his supporters took Mecca during the Saudi invasion of Hejaz. Since then, the city has been under Saudi rule and seen significant expansion.

Mecca’s scene has changed dramatically throughout the Saudi reign. The city has seen amazing growth in infrastructure and size as contemporary buildings and amenities coexist with old landmarks. The Abraj Al Bait, a complex comprising the third-largest by floor area and fourth-tallest skyscraper in the world, is among the most spectacular illustrations of this modernism. Rising over the Great Mosque, this enormous construction represents the fusion of modern Mecca’s characterizing mix of historic legacy and modern progress.

Still, Mecca’s fast growth has not been without controversy. Critics of the Saudi government have pointed out that various ancient buildings and archeological sites were destroyed under the pretext of development and expansion. For instance, the destruction of the Ajyad Fortress generated global discussion on the preservation of Islamic legacy. Many of these measures have been rationalized by the Saudi government as required procedures to allow the continually rising number of pilgrims completing the Hajj and Umrah, hence extending the Masjid al-Haram and its accompanying facilities.

Mecca’s governance captures its importance as a major Saudi Arabian city. The 14 locally elected members of the Mecca Regional Municipality, a municipal council, supervise city management. Head of this council, the mayor—known in Arabic as Amin—is nominated by the Saudi government. Saleh Al-Turki is Mecca’s mayor as of January 2022, carrying on the local government legacy under the more general Saudi control.

Mecca and its environs create Mecca Province, which also comprises the neighboring towns of Jeddah and Ta’if. Mecca’s religious and administrative significance is highlighted by Jeddah’s bigger population; notwithstanding which, Mecca is the provincial capital. Prince Khalid bin Faisal Al Saud holds the governorship of the province right now; he has been in this post since May 16, 2007.

Economically, Mecca’s importance for religion determines its fortunes in great part. The city’s economy has always been mostly reliant on pilgrims returning for Umrah and Hajj. The money these pilgrimages bring not only drives the nearby economy but also has traditionally had broad impact on the whole Arabian Peninsula.

There are several different ways that pilgrimages affect the economy. Until as late as 1972, one way to make money historically was by charging pilgrims. The main sources of the economic gains nowadays are services given to pilgrims. For example, travel connected to pilgrimages accounts for around 12% of Saudia, the national airline of Saudi Arabia. The flood of guests helps hotels, lodging businesses, transportation providers, and other industries greatly as well.

This economic activity is on rather large scale. While the Saudi government spends roughly $50 million on services for the Hajj, the city apparently absorbs more than $100 million from pilgrimage-related activities. Resilient in nature, this economic model has changed with the centuries and accommodated increasing pilgrim count.

Mecca’s economy is dominated by pilgrimage-related activities, however the city still has some industrial presence. Among the businesses functioning in Mecca are textiles, furniture, and utensil manufacture. Mecca no longer, however, has a significant influence on Saudi Arabia’s overall economy, which is mostly derived from oil exports. The city’s economy is still mostly service-oriented, meeting both local needs as well as those of the millions of pilgrims that visit each.

Mecca has focused especially on infrastructure development, especially with regard to transportation. The city sits at the crossroads of two of Saudi Arabia’s most crucial thoroughfares. Highway 40 runs eastward to the capital, Riyadh, and the principal port city of Dammam after linking Mecca to the important port city of Jeddah in the west. About 400 kilometers to the north, Highway 15 connects Mecca to Medina, the other holy Islamic city, then runs on towards Tabuk and Jordan. This road links Mecca with Abha and Jizan southward.

The great volume of visitors in the city makes traffic management a major problem. Four ring roads service Mecca; these are significantly more crowded than the three ring roads of Medina. The city has also made many tunnel investments to ease traffic and boost connection, therefore improving pedestrian and vehicle flow particularly during peak pilgrimage times.