SAUDI Arabia said a SR6.5-billion ($1.73 billion) monorail linking Makkah with the holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah in the kingdom will be ready for use by pilgrims for next year’s Haj.

Work on the project began earlier this year, and the rail will be ready for use to 35 per cent of its capacity during the next Haj season.
The project, which is being implemented by a consortium led by China Railway Company, will be operational at full capacity by 2011.
Studies are now under way on extending the monorail to a station close to the Grand Mosque in Makkah in order to link it with the Haramain Railway, which connects Makkah and Madinah.
The project is designed to transport five million pilgrims.