As reported by Yahoo.com, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on November 1 laid the cornerstone for the Grand Mosque of Algiers, a US$ 1.3 billion project that should become the world's third largest mosque. China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) last month was awarded the contract to build the huge monument, facing the sea in the east of Algiers, over four years. The mosque will sit on 20 hectares in the Mohammadia area of the capital. Its minaret soaring 270 meters into the sky, it will hold 120 thousand worshippers, feature a library of 1 million works and seating for 2 thousand. It will also house a museum and a research centre and become the world's third largest mosque after those in Mecca and Saudi Arabia in Medina. Algiers currently has three grand mosques: "Djamaa el-Kebir" built in the 11th century, "Djamaa el-Djedid" built in 1660, and the "Ketchaoua" at the foot of the Casbah, also built during the Ottoman rule in the 17th century.

As reported by Arab news, on August 19 Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz laid the foundation stone for the historic expansion project of the Grand Mosque, which covers 400 thousand square meters northwest and northeast of the mosque, and will increase its total capacity to more than 2.5 million. According to informed sources, the total area of the existing Grand Mosque is 356 thousand square meters accommodating 770 thousand worshippers, while the new expansion covering an area of 456 thousand square meters will accommodate 1.2 million. The new US$ 21.8 million project will comprise three parts: construction of a new building, expansion and development of courtyards around the mosque, including walkways, tunnels and toilets, and development of service facilities for air-conditioning, electricity and drinking water. A number of new multistoried hotels will establish at the end of the courtyards of the new expansion. Vast pathways will be created between the building for pilgrims and worshippers to reach the mosque. Al-Masjid al-Haram is the largest mosque in the world. Located in the city of Makkah, it surrounds the Kaaba, the place which worldwide Muslims turn towards while performing daily prayers and is Islam's holiest place. The mosque is also known as the Grand Mosque.

As reported by emirates247.com, non-resident Indians in the UAE and other Middle Eastern countries are contributing to build what is claimed to be India's biggest mosque, Share Mubarak Masjid, which will come up in the outskirts of Kozhikode (Calicut), Kerala, home to a large number of NRIs living in the UAE. Dr MA Hakkim Azhari Kanthapuram, joint secretary of Markazu Ssaquafathi Ssunniyya of Calicut (a leading religious and charitable institution in India, helping the destitute Muslims and orphans in their education and overall socio-cultural development), during his visit to the UAE said, that about one million members of the organisation, many of them living in the UAE, each contributed US$ 22 to build the largest Indian mosque in a proposed Knowledge City, which is located on the outskirts of Calicut. To be built at a cost of US$ 8.8 million, the mosque will have a built-up area of 23 thousand square meters, accommodating up to 30 thousand worshippers. There will be a library for Islamic research and a conference hall where both Muslims and non-Muslims can come in pursuit of knowledge. The mosque will also be surrounded by Moghul-style garden and landscaping. The entire township would cost US$ 265 million. According to article, in Knowledge City will be professional engineering and medical colleges, a multidisciplinary hospital and healthcare city, a shopping mall, star hotels and convention center. The City layout has been finalised and urban planning is going on. Within the next six months, construction work will start. Currently, the biggest Indian mosque is Delhi's Jamia Masjid, built in the 17th century by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The Jamia Masjid is built with red sandstone and white marble. About 25 thousand people can pray here at a time.