SAUDI Readymix has begun supplying concrete to the Jabal Omar project, a residential and commercial property development adjacent to the Grand Mosque in Makkah under an exclusive agreement with Saudi Oger.

Under the deal, the leading readymix concrete producer has agreed to supply 900,000 cu m of concrete to the Saudi contractor. It started supplying concrete in Ramadan, and estimates that the project will require an average of nearly 40,000 cu m of concrete per month over a span of 24 months.
The company has even set up a new factory near the project site, which contains two batching plants with a production capacity of 480 cu m per hour (115,000 cu m per month).
Commenting on the project, Bader Hussain, general manager of Saudi Readymix’s Western Region operations, says: “The Jabal Omar project is multi-faceted due to its mixed-use nature and, therefore, is a massive undertaking for any provider, requiring a large and continuous flow of concrete to meet its 2010 deadline of completion.”
In addition to the new factory, a fully-dedicated and comprehensive fleet of concrete equipment and a project supervisor have been assigned to the project.
The company will also set up its first quarry in the Western Province — its fourth overall — to service the Makkah region and the nearby city of Jeddah.
In preparation for the project, a team from Saudi Readymix worked closely with Saudi Oger over the course of several months prior to its start to determine the most effective solutions for the concrete supply to overcome the logistical and technical challenges such a project presents.
“Jabal Omar is unique because it involves both vertical and horizontal construction due to its high-rise towers and immense prayer areas. However, I believe our experience in high-rise concrete technology, unique mix designs, and expertise in advanced concrete equipment stand us in good stead for Jabal Omar, and we look forward to demonstrating Saudi Readymix’s capabilities to meet the ambitious demands of such a prestigious project,” Hussain adds.
The Jabal Omar project is estimated to cost  SR12 billion ($3.12 billion) and covers an area of 230,000 sq m. The pilgrimage-related residential and commercial property is being developed by the Jabal Omar Development Company (JODC). The project includes five-star hotels, commercial centres, 4,500 shops and 3,000 showrooms, a central transport station and parking facility for 12,000 vehicles and prayer facilities for 202,000 worshippers.
The proposed development at Jabal Omar uses the mountain crest to define the site into two parts, one facing the Haram and the other sloping away from it. The part facing the Haram contains a concourse and pedestrian links to it. Hotel and apartment towers are situated over the mountain crest. The western side of the development is for car parking and vehicular access.
This project is one of several mega developments under way to modernise Makkah.  The entire Mecca development is planned to be completed over several years, enabling the area to accommodate more than 1.2 million people, compared with under half a million today. The residential area will be increased three-fold to 5.1 million sq m.
The plan also envisages 40 feeder roads all leading to the mosque, in addition to pedestrian tunnels under main streets to facilitate the movement of worshippers, an increase in car-parking capacity from 585 spaces to a massive 45,000 vehicles, and expanding the pedestrian area from 6,000 sq m to 120,000 sq m.
There are no gardens around the mosque at present, but more than 30,000 sq m of parks are to spring up, planted with thousands of trees. Traditional suqs around the Grand Mosque are today scattered over an area of 180,000 sq m.
Ultra-modern malls and markets are planned to cover 660,000 sq m.