The UK’s Foster + Partners says it has won a design competition for a luxury hotel and serviced apartments at the Jabal Omar Development in Mecca.

It will be built between the new Haramain High-speed Rail Station and the Grand Mosque.

The firm said in a statement that: “The new mixed-use development will create a new gateway along the route to the Grand Mosque for pilgrims from the world over.”

The Jabal Omar development has at least 37 towers with a total built-up area of 2 million square metres of space, including hospitality, residential, retail, commercial and religious facilities.

Various contractors have worked on the initial phases of the project including the local Nesma & Partners Construction, a joint venture of Saudi Arabian Baytur Construction Company and the local Azmeel Contracting & Construction Corporation, and a joint venture of Lebanon’s Arabian Construction Company (ACC) and the UAE’s Drake & Scull International.

US-based Hill International is the project manager.