Neo-liberalism and the Architecture of the Post Professional Era by Hossein Sadri

Author:Hossein Sadri
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Springer International Publishing, Cham

11.6 Hajj and the Saudi Economy

The Meccan leaders of tribes over the history were finding honor and pride to serve honestly pilgrims “Allah’s visitors.” The fiscal benefits were not a priority for heads of Quraish who were more interested in bringing out their social standing. This situation has changed during the establishment of modern state.

The end of imperialism and stopping of the global and regional wars have triggered more flow of the overseas pilgrims to the Saudi Arabia; this phenomenon has emerged since the 1950s. In the 1970s, the rising of oil price, ending the war between Egypt and the Zionist entity, and affordable air flights have contributed to doubling the number of pilgrims seeking for inner quietness (Bianchi 2004). The annual number of pilgrims have mushroomed remarkably from 100,000 Hajjis in the 1950s to about 3 million Allah’s guests nowadays. According to the Guardian report, Butt (2010) argued that the number of Muslims tourists to Mecca and Medina is anticipated to go up from 12 million in 2010 to 17 million by 2025. A massive influx of Hajjis and visitors to Mecca and Medina has propelled the Saudi ruling family to enhance the urban infrastructure, notably the area of Grand Mosque.

The Hajj pilgrimage is ranked the third source of economy in Saudi Kingdom (Burns 2007). Pilgrimage to the Ka’ba in Mecca and visiting of the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina have provided seasonal and constant job opportunities. After the price boom of oil in the 1970s alongside the annual ongoing raising of Hajjis who visit the Kingdom over the year, the government of Saudi Arabia has become able to improve the urban infrastructure and public facilities such as transportation means, streets and roads, hotels, restaurants, hospitals.

The Saudi government has not concerned of the tourism industry in general and the religious tourism in particular unless after the oil prices gradually dropped. The fears of Saudis’ decision-makers of oil depletion or its decline made them invest more and more in the religious tourism. Saudi Arabia has encouraged the private sectors to contribute to the schemes related to the holy places and cities. The investors know that religious tourism is considered a sustainable business and guaranteed one hundred percent.

The Saudi government has been establishing a railway to connect between Mecca and Medina with cost 6 billion American dollar. The dependence on railway between the two holy cities is resulting from care to eliminating the traffic accidents and minimizing the trip time. Therefore, the Hajjis can move conveniently between the most sacred two cities in the holy lands. With an estimated cost 2.4 billion U.S. dollar, the Medina airport would be extended from 3 million to 12 million passengers to facilitate the access to the prophet’s city and vice versa, the same to the King Abdulaziz International airport in Jeddah.

The most effective development is what is established around the Kaaba. The Grand Mosque has been enlarged several times to accommodate the steady rise of Hajj pilgrimages; however, the latest development is considered the biggest and most influential on the Kaaba (the House of God) visually and spiritually.

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