Saudi Arabia’s ‘Big Ben’ is 35 times taller and cost £12bn to build | World | News
With some semblence to Big Ben, no one would be frowned upon for thinking this clock tower is based in London at first glance. But it’s actually sitting as one of the world’s tallest buildings in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
The Makkah Royal Clock Tower, a staggering 600m high, features a hotel, the world’s biggest clock and the world’s highest occupational space on any structure.
Construction started in 2002, and it was Saudi Arabia’s first mega project with initial plans for it to be 450 metres high. However, after half of it was already built, it was decided that the tower would be extended to 600m, limiting the weight to 82,000 tonnes due to the structure already in place.
Building firms from more than 10 countries worldwide worked on the skyscraper, and at one point, the project saw over 17,000 workers on site.Big Ben sits at 96m high, with Makkah’s similar-looking building far exceeding it in height.
The hotel at MRCT is one of the many in the city, with three million Muslims visiting a year for a religious pilgrimage.
Religious tourism is the second largest income to Saudi Arabia, contributing £9 bn to its economy. The tower stands just 300 metres away from the Great Mosque of Mecca.
Where those who do not practice the Islamic faith are not allowed in Mecca, which meant that many of the construction workers converted to Islam during the project, including the owner of the German company Riva.
Many of the lead architects did not actually see the building in real life. However, it is said that because of how tall the structure is, it can be seen from over 50 miles away.
The clock was designed by Perrot, a German company which has been designing clocks since the 1950s. Its hands measure 23m and 17m, significantly bigger than Big Ben’s hands, which are 4.2m and 2.7m.
It was premanufactured in Dubai along with the moon crescent that sits on top of the building, then was transported in parts to Mecca.
More than two million LED lights are used to illuminate the clock to make sure it can be seen from miles away. Behind the clock faces, there is an astronomy exhibition named the Clock Tower Museum, and entry tickets cost from £30.
