Author(s)

H. Algahtani

Abstract

The Holy City of Makkah has played a prominent international role as the sacred capital of Islam, which makes it important to review the planning of its central district, not only from the perspective of accommodation and housing, but also the strategic and religious dimension that the holy capital enjoys in the whole region. Thus, the study addresses the following question: What should be the strategic vision of the central district of the Holy City of Makkah? To answer the question, the author reviews theoretical frameworks and previous studies related to the subject matter in order to discern the principles and aspects of strategic planning as well as considerations that must be taken into account when configuring the strategic vision of the central district. The study uses a descriptive method in its documentary and screening, and a questionnaire was carried out to identify official views on the aspects and considerations that have been inferred from previous studies and related literature. There are seven main aspects out of which 45 subsets have been identified as being important to be taken into consideration when developing a strategic vision for the central istrict. The study also makes suggestions for “the central district: as a worship area with international standards” as a strategic vision suited for present and future development projects.

Keywords

Makkah, urban planning, traditional architecture, strategic planning