Saudi Arabia to build massive Islamic center in Kabul
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 29 October 2012 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Saudi Arabia to build massive Islamic center in Kabul, 29 October 2012, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5090e5bba.html [accessed 29 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
October 29, 2012
An Afghan official says Saudi Arabia will build a massive Islamic complex in central Kabul that will cost between $45 million and $100 million.
Dayi-Ul Haq Abed, Afghanistan's acting hajj and religious affairs minister, told the French news agency AFP that the project was agreed last week in Jeddah and that construction will begin next year.
The Islamic complex will cover 24 hectares on Maranjan Hill in central Kabul. It will feature a university, a hospital, a sports hall, and a mosque capable of holding 15,000 worshippers at a time.
The center, to be named after Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, will be run jointly by the Saudi and Afghan ministries of religious affairs.
Saudi Arabia was one of only three countries to recognize the hard-line Taliban regime during its rule in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.
Based on reporting by AFP and khaama.com
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
