Saudi Arabia has announced plans to launch a new cable car system to the Cave of Hira, where the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) received his first revelation of the Quran.
The Cave of Hira is located in the Jabal Al Nour mountain and is at a height of 634 metres, nearly 4 kilometres from the Grand Mosque in Makkah.
This is part of Saudi Arabia’s goal to improve the pilgrimage experience for the millions of devotees and ease access to the religious landmark.
Construction of the cable system is part of a development plan that includes the completion of the Hira Cultural District, which opened last year and is spread over 67,000 square meters.
The first phase of the development, which includes a pathway to improve access for pedestrians and vehicles, was revealed last year. Before the paved pathway, which starts in the foothills of Mount Hira, visitors had to make the arduous on foot. Two pathways for those walking cut the time needed to reach the Cave of Hira to 15 and 40 minutes.
At that time, Fawaz Al-Mehrij, CEO of Samaya Investment, the developer and operator of the Hira Cultural District, had promised more development in the near future.
On Saturday, Al-Mehrij told Al Arabiya channel that the cable car project is nearing completion and will be operational next year.
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