Speaking to press on the occasion of the signing ceremony, Secretary General of IIROSA Adnan bin Khalil Basha said the tower would further enhance the organization’s ability to finance its various projects and programs in favor of the poor, needy and distressed people everywhere in the world.

He said the tower would have a total built-in area of 24,375 square meters and consist of 29 stories. “It will have all the facilities and services offered by big hotels, including restaurants, car parks, and spacious and well-furnished rooms,” he said. He added that the tower would have 518 rooms and a praying area accommodating more than 600 worshipers.

Basha said the new tower, with its immense potential, would be one of the landmarks in the holy city and would help residents when they go to Makkah. He said IIROSA was currently sponsoring more than 90,000 orphans worldwide, including about 15,000 in Saudi Arabia.

Last year, IIROSA launched six new Waqf (endowment) projects in Makkah at a cost of about SR500,000, which are expected to render annual returns of about SR45 million that will be used to finance the organization’s relief, humanitarian and development projects.

According to Basha, the following are the six endowment projects launched last year and the project launched on Sunday in Makkah.

• Tower No. 7 along the ring road. This project is an 11-story housing and commercial building constructed on an area of 11,400 sq. meters. The proceeds of this project will be used to build and maintain mosques;

• Tower No. 8 in Ajyad facing the Royal Palaces. It is a Wakf for the education, sponsoring and rehabilitation of more than 250,000 orphans around the world;

• Tower No. 9 on Al-Hijra Road in Masfalah district. It has an area of 1,471 sq. meters and will consist of 20 stories. It is a Wakf for educational care. It will have 371 rooms and will be received from the contractor in September;

• Tower No. 10. It is a Wakf for the memorization of Qur’an and teaching of Islam. The organization has about 1,000 Qur’an memorization centers and 700 preachers in the world. It is located on Al-Haram Road in Maabdah district and has an area of 2,315 sq. meters. It will consist of 28 stories;

• Tower No. 11 is a Wakf for social development. It is located on Ibrahim Al-Khalil Road in Al-Masfalah district. It has an area of 2,034 sq. meters and consists of 10 stories;

• The Dawah Waqf in Al-Maabdah district. This is a 28-story building that will cost SR87.5 million. Its proceeds will be used to benefit about 13,000 male and female students and 720 preachers in 365 Islamic centers around the world.

• Tower No. 12 on Al-Aziziyah Road. It has an area of 800 sq. meters and will consist of 25 stories. It is a Wakf for health care.

The Secretary General said IIROSA is now running 149 health projects in various countries of the world, consisting of hospitals, health centers and medical caravans. He said the organization will also have three residential and commercial towers in Jeddah, which are currently at the designing stage.

Source: Arab News