Saudi Gazette reports that the Saudi government is exercising its right to eminent domain—the forced sale of land to the government—in the area around the Grand Mosque in Mecca for the development of the Haram Library. Prices being offered range from SR 80,000 (US $21,333) per square meter to SR 250,000 (US $66,667) per square meter (That’s $1,983/sq. ft. to $6,193/sq. ft.)

Expansion of the Haram has been a somewhat contentious issue in Saudi Arabia and beyond. While there is clearly a need to expand in order to accommodate the ever-growing number of pilgrims, some allege that the expansion is being carried out at the expense of history. Whether the library needs to be within the sacred precinct is debatable, but there has been a library associated with the Great Mosque since the 2nd C. Hijri.

How much is land around Haram?
Majed Al-Mufadali

MAKKAH – One square meter of land around the Grand Mosque in Makkah could cost as much as SR250,000, according to a land value appraisal commission tasked with determining due compensation payable for government land acquisitions for the Haram expansion.

Owners of the properties seized for the project of the Haram Library will receive over SR800 million in compensation for the library project.

Due compensation price per one square meter around the Haram area ranged between SR80,000 to SR250,000, said Mansour Abu Rayash, head of the real estate committee at the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI).
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