Skilled M'sians Involved In Building World's Tallest Hotel Clock Tower In Mecca

KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 (Bernama) -- "My team was installing the crescent at the Mecca Royal Clock Hotel Tower, the world's tallest, from a height of 500 metres from ground when all of a sudden a strong wind hit us. "At that time, the cable holding the crescent was spinning and we feared that it could snap. Fortunately, one of our experienced crew members managed to control the situation and the installation went on smoothly." Malaysian Hairul Nizam Baharuddin, 34, project manager with Dubai-based Premier Composite Technologies, was sharing his experience working on the clock hotel tower, also known as Abraj Al-Bait, with Bernama while back here on holiday. The Malacca-born said all 18 Malaysians involved in the project, had the skills and experience in such areas as construction engineering, installation, monitoring and management. The 601-metre high clock hotel tower, which faces the Masjidil Haram or Grand Mosque, is the tallest in the world, after surpassing other well-known clock towers such as the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw Poland, Big Ben in London and Ann-Bradley Clock Tower in Milwaukee, the United States. Hairul Nizam said construction of the clock hotel tower, which was reported to cost about US$3 billion (about RM9 billion), started in June 2009 and expected to be completed this year before being handed over to its developer, the Binladin Group. "At the moment, the project is 90 per cent completed," said Hairul Nizam, adding that as the leader of his team, he was also responsible for administration, monitoring of the project and looking after the welfare of his Malaysian colleagues. He said he was proud to be part of the expert team involved in building the magnificent new landmark in Mecca. According to him, the composite used in the project was a new type and not many companies in the world had the expertise and tecnnology to produce it, while the cost was also high. "This composite is made from fibre glass that is structurally strong but light, durable and does not leak easily. It does not need any maintenance for the first 20 years, compared to aluminium which is a lot cheaper but can leak after two to three years," he said. Hairul Nizam said a few mosque domes that had used the same material were those of the Putrajaya Mosque, Federal Territory Mosque and the Al-Bukhari Mosque (in northern state of Malaysia, Kedah). He hoped to start his own company in three to five years' time and share his expertise in this country. The Abraj Al-Bait, the tallest hotel in the world and with the largest clock faces, can be seen from 17 km away at night and 12 km away during the day. The two million LED lights on the clock faces, which flash five times a day to signal the call to prayers, can be seen from a distance of 28 km. The four clock faces are decorated with 90 million pieces of glass mosaic. -- BERNAMA