Saudi Gazette report

MAKKAH — Two cooling stations at the Grand Mosque, which are considered to be the largest cooling plants in the world, are ready to serve pilgrims and worshipers during the holy month of Ramadan.

The first is the Ajyad station, which produces 35,300 refrigeration tons of which about 24,500 refrigeration tons are used, and the second station is the new central station with a capacity of 120,000 tons of refrigeration. It is currently feeding the Third Saudi Expansion Project of the Grand Mosque, in addition to half of mas’a (area for the ritual of sa’i between Safa and Marwa). This station will feed all facilities of the Grand Mosque in the future.

The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques also makes available backup cooling stations next to the main stations, to control the temperatures in the event that one of the stations malfunctions as well as to ensure the purity of the air distributed inside the Grand Mosque.

The air conditioning work and periodic maintenance of the air cooling system continue in the Grand Mosque as part of the presidency’s preparations for the holy month of Ramadan, which is due within two weeks and it coincides with the annual summer season.

Eng. Mutlaq Al-Maqati, assistant director-general of the General Department for Operation and Maintenance, said that the department takes care of the air-conditioning by cleaning the filters, as they are monitored continuously, taking into account of emptying and removal of air from inside the Grand Mosque.

The engineering designs in the building are cooled by about 344 handling units distributed over two sites inside the Grand Mosque, he said.

“The air purification filters inside the air-conditioning rooms are cleaned on a daily basis throughout the year and replaced when needed, and are subject to careful maintenance and cleaning processes by highly qualified engineering and technical cadres.”

These technical teams supervise these works to ensure implementation according to technical principles followed using the highly advanced technologies,” he added.