Keeping Saudi Arabia’s Makkah Grand Mosque cool for religious pilgrims

High tech and ancient tradition in harmony

Dating from the 16th century and a pilgrimage site for millions every year, the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, is one of the world’s most feted arenas of holy worship.

In 2023, more than 1.8m worshippers¹ undertook the annual Hajj to Makkah, the holiest city for Muslims, where the Grand Mosque – the world’s largest – is capable of hosting up to 300,000 during this period of religious observance. Such a large congregation, in a city where summer temperatures can exceed 45 degrees Celsius, places high demands on the Grand Mosque’s chilled water system, which is responsible for keeping it cool. 

Helping to ensure comfort during worship

That system is powered by ABB’s medium voltage ACS 1000 drives and it has been in place for more than 12 years. Reliability of the cooling system is vital for ensuring the comfort of worshippers. 

In partnership with Johnson Controls Arabia (JCA), ABB’s Motion Services team in Saudi Arabia is working to maintain the cooling system, in response to the growing challenge posed by ageing equipment and reduced system redundancy due to recent expansions.

Their three-year OneCare service agreement, which provides monthly maintenance inspections of the 16 drive units, has been tailored to meet the Grand Mosque’s unique operational demands and ensure no disruptions during peak pilgrimage times.

ABB’s contribution to the Grand Mosque continues the centuries-long process of development and modernization at the site.

Makkah Grand Mosque factfile

• The first walls around the central Kaaba shrine were built in 638
• A major renovation was undertaken in 1571. The Ottoman domes built then are the oldest remaining parts of the modern structure
• First electrical systems installed in early 1900s
• First electric public address system installed in 1948
• 1955-1973: major expansion project
• 1984: further expansion undertaken, to accommodate growing numbers of pilgrims
• 2011 and 2015: further expansion projects undertaken²

Sources:

1. Annual number of Hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia from 1999 to 2023 1.8m worshippers

2. Brittanica.com

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