The first phase of the historic expansion of Saudi Arabia's Grand Mosque in Makkah has opened in time to accommodate 400 thousand more worshippers this Ramadan, according to Arab News.

Three floors of a newly constructed annex have been completed, as well as the northern, southern and western plazas of the mosque. The annex had been decorated with chandeliers and air-conditioning and water fountains had been installed for visitors. There are telephones for visitors to make inquiries about matters related to Umrah or other religious issues. Zamzam water taps have been installed in open plazas to supply cold water to visitors. The new annex's escalators have begun operating to facilitate movement of pilgrims and worshippers to upper floors.

Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz laid the foundation stone for the historic expansion project of the Grand Mosque on August 19, 2011. Now the Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest site, is undergoing its largest ever expansion, worth US$ 21.3 billion, to increase its capacity to 2 million pilgrims. The entire expansion is expected to take several years.