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CIP Western Europe Director Dr. Al-Alawi on Saudi Cultural Vandalism, The Guardian [London], November 14, 2006
Luxury timeshares on offer at Islam's holiest pilgrimage site
Opponents say ZamZam moneyspinner makes mockery of spirit of hajj
Riazat Butt
Tuesday November 14, 2006
Tuesday November 14, 2006
Guardian
It is the holiest site in Islam, the
birthplace of the prophet Muhammad and the place the world's Muslim
population turns and prays to five times a day.
Millions of people make a pilgrimage to Mecca every year to wash away
their sins, but muddying the waters of this spiritual experience is a
$390m (£205m) luxury timeshare development looming over the House of
Allah.
Timeshare, a concept more usually associated with Torremolinos and
the Algarve, has spread to Mecca and divided opinion in the Muslim
world. Built by the Binladin Group, the construction firm founded by
Mohammed bin Laden, the father of Osama, the ZamZam tower offers
five-star accommodation, a shopping centre, restaurants and a car
park.
Opponents say the skyscraper and its money-spinning
potential goes against the spirit of hajj, a pilgrimage
founded on purity, equality and simplicity.
Saudi authorities will use the initial revenue to
maintain the holy site, but there is nothing to stop
homeowners from selling or subleasing their
timeshare for inflated prices. Irfan Ahmed al-Alawi,
a historian and co-chair of the Islamic Heritage
Foundation, set up to protect sites of cultural and
historical interest in Mecca, said: "This timeshare
is the exploitation and commercialisation of a holy
city.
"The excuse given by the Saudi government is
that there's not enough accommodation, but
do you really need to be so close to the
Grand Mosque and the House of Allah? ZamZam
has facilities that are irrelevant. You
don't need a shopping centre and restaurants
when you're doing hajj. Marble flooring and
five-star accommodation will not enhance
your pilgrimage or make you a better Muslim.
The idea that you can make a profit is
especially offensive. Such desecration and
disrespect would have been unthinkable 30
years ago."
A week's lease on a 33 sq metre
studio with city views costs £3,600
in low season. A studio with views
of the House of Allah, the Ka'bah,
costs £93,500 to lease during the
month of hajj. The Saudi government
allowed the towers' construction to
cater for Mecca's growing popularity
as a year-round destination. Around
4 million people visit during hajj
and 3 million visitors during
Ramadan, but many Muslims visit at
other, quieter times of the year.
The Saudi government does not object
to expanding facilities in Mecca.
A diplomatic source said:
"People want to shop,
somewhere to eat, they have
the right to do these
things. It is not haraam
[forbidden] and we cannot
stop them from wanting to do
these things. People don't
just do hajj and leave any
more. For many it may be
their only chance to visit
so they want to be here as
long as they can. They are
getting quality
accommodation and amenities.
We need somewhere to put
pilgrims because there are
so many coming here.
Besides, there are already
five-star hotels in Mecca."
ZamZam is part of
the Abraj al-Bait
complex, one of the
largest construction
projects in the
world, measuring
1.4m square metres.
The 480m-high
complex will include
six other towers
besides the ZamZam,
two helipads and a
four-storey shopping
mall. It will be the
tallest building in
Saudi Arabia and,
once completed, one
of the tallest in
the world. According
to the Riyadh
chamber of commerce
and industry, Mecca
has become a
property hotspot.
Investment during
the last three
decades has totalled
£57bn and land in
Mecca can cost up to
£50,000 a square
metre - more
expensive than
Manhattan or
Mayfair.
Talal
Mahmood
Malik is
chief
executive of
Alpha1Estates,
which is
selling
timeshares
for the
1,240 suites
to Muslims
in the UK
and Europe.
In the
company
brochure,
prospective
buyers are
told they
can expect
an average
rental
return of
between 10%
and 15% a
year.
He
says:
"You
could
see
it
as a
financial
investment
and
there
will
be
cowboys
interested
in
making
a
quick
buck.
But
most
people
see
it
as a
spiritual
investment.
There
is a
massive
modernisation
and
regeneration
programme
in
Mecca
but
non-Muslims
won't
be
interested
in
investing.
There's
nothing
to
do
there
except
pray
and
if
you're
non-Muslim
you
can't
get
into
Mecca
anyway."
He said that business had been a bit slow at first because the timeshare concept was "alien" to Muslims, but trade had picked up during Ramadan. He added: "We've been surprised by the number of young people buying timeshares, but there have been more sales to older Muslims, who want to retire there."
One timeshare owner, who did not wish to be named, said: "I have a large family and we go to Mecca every few years. It will provide an incentive for me to go there more often. I could make money from renting it out but, for me, it's not about that."
The Mecca goldrush has come at a price, says Dr Alawi, with many historic sites wiped off the map. He claims there are now fewer than 20 structures remaining in Mecca dating back to the time of Muhammad 1,400 years ago.
He adds: "The sad thing is that as Mecca becomes more commercialised its spiritual side will fade, but I don't hear Muslims complaining." Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2006