Saudi Gazette

MANY visitors have commended the safe deposit facilities outside the Grand Mosque in Makkah. While describing the service as very valuable, they called on the authorities to build more such facilities within the mosque complex.

Visitors can drop their personal belongings in safe deposit boxes and head inside the mosque to perform their rituals in comfort and ease, without having to worry that their belongings might get stolen.

Omar Hawsawi, supervisor of safe deposit boxes at the Grand Mosque’s courtyards, said the Presidency of the Grand Mosque Affairs has set up safe deposit facilities opposite King Abdulaziz Gate, opposite King Fahd Gate, opposite Dar Al-Tawheed Intercontinental Hotel, Al-Shebaikah District, opposite King Abdullah Gate and Marwa District near Al-Haramain Library.

Each facility has 320 boxes of different sizes. The prices of boxes differ based on its size. The prices start at SR2 an hour and can reach up to SR7 for big boxes.

All personal belongings will go under the security scanner to ensure that they do not have liquids like honey or oil, which can go bad quickly. Once examined, the belongings can be placed in the proper size box and locked.

Each box is assigned a number. When the box shuts, a slip of paper with the number of the box will be printed out to the user. The paper contains information such as the date and time of using the box. When the paper is scanned in a sensor placed in the box, it will open automatically.

A person can use the box for a maximum of five hours.

If a person leaves his belongings unclaimed for five days, the presidency’s officials will open the box to check the content. Valuable things will be kept until the rightful owner claims them while unimportant things will be destroyed.