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In recent years, the local and national authorities of Saudi Arabia have embarked on an ambitious plan of infrastructure development in Makkah and the surrounding areas. The infrastructure developments taking place are predominantly aimed at servicing the millions of Muslims who come to Makkah each year to perform Hajj. The mayor of Makkah estimates that the value of these developments will exceed one hundred and twenty five million dollars over the next ten years. This represents a massive investment from Saudi Arabian authorities who are actively investing in projects across the country aimed at diversifying the national economy from the traditional dependence on oil.

One of the major aims of the projects is to dramatically improve the transport infrastructure to ensure all pilgrims experience a pleasant and safe journey to the religious sites. The Al Mashaaer Al Muqaddassah Metro or the Mecca Metro as it is commonly know opened in late 2010, following the route of Hajj pilgrims. The elevated rail network covers almost twenty kilometers in distance and is expected to carry more than a million passengers a day. This particular infrastructure project will also have a demonstrable effect on reducing the level of traffic on the roads both during Hajj and throughout the year. In addition, a futuristic airport redevelopment project has recently been approved by King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz himself, aimed at redeveloping the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah with a view to accommodating more than eighty million passengers each year.

Over the last few years, even the religious areas of the city have been the subject of significant infrastructure development. The expansion of the Holy Mosque to increase the available space by more than four hundred thousand square meters is a clear demonstration of government policy to accommodate greater numbers of hajjis in the future. There are also a number of large scale housing and hotel projects ongoing in Makkah, including the Abraj Al Bait Towers, situated opposite the South entrance to the Masjid Al Haram. The development encompasses both the tallest clock tower and the tallest hotel in the world, with the tallest building of the development standing at a height of six hundred and one meters.

The infrastructure developments in Makkah have resulted in the creation of employment opportunities for both local Saudis and immigrants from further afield. The resulting demand for affordable housing and local amenities has served to further increase the scale of development and has also resulted in the development of additional hospitals and ambitious plans for improvement in education. The infrastructure developments in Makkah will continue to expand and diversify the Saudi Arabian economy, delivering benefits for Makkah province and Saudi Arabia as a whole.