Who is building the new Makkah? Inside the developers shaping Masar

Masar is one of the most visible changes taking place in Makkah.

The infrastructure is in place. The boulevard is taking shape. The roads and pedestrian routes are already changing how the western side of the city looks, with towers rising at both ends.

But Masar is not one development in the way many people assume.

It is a project comprising 203 plots, with different developers responsible for different pieces of the district.

That matters because the future of Masar will depend on more than the quality of its masterplan. It will depend on whether all these separate plots become one integrated destination.

If you are trying to understand what is coming, start with its zones.

Three zones, three different roles

Masar stretches for roughly 3.6 kilometres from the Jabal Omar walkway to the Haramain High-Speed Railway station.

The destination is divided into three broad zones.

The zones are connected, but they are not interchangeable.

Zone 1 is the Haram-facing end and is primarily about proximity to the Haram. Zone 2 is the centre of Masar and contains the project's public-realm anchors, including King Abdullah Mosque. Zone 3 is where the Haramain station creates a transport-led arrival district, with Masar Mall serving as an anchor asset.

The developers behind the district

Arabian Dyar: the station-end residential play

Arabian Dyar is one of the most visible sub-developers in Masar.

Its plots sit in Zone 3, at the Haramain station end of Masar, with plots falling on either side of Masar Mall. Its Dyar Al Haram project is positioned as a set of residential towers within close proximity to the station.

The company's December 2025 and February 2026 purchases, together with its September 2026 transaction, show how the sub-developer is increasing its exposure within Masar's Zone 3.

Arabian Dyar is the only developer with towers going live at the end of 2026, showcasing that the project is advancing on the ground, and which developer is driving the first charge.

Mohammad Al Habib: five plots on the western side

In July 2025, Saqeefat Al-Asima Company, an affiliate of Mohammad Abdul Aziz Al Habib and Partners Real Estate Company, acquired five plots in Masar.

The initial announcement described five hospitality towers. Later material referred to a wider mixed-use concept, including residential, hospitality and retail.

The plots are also in Zone 3, north of Masar Mall.

Al Ramz: the connected centre

Al Ramz holds two plots in Zone 2, close to King Abdullah Mosque.

This part of Masar is becoming more than a corridor between the Haram and the station. Not only is the plot adjacent to a planned souq along the boulevard, the upcoming Masar Gardens, which features an open green space with walking and cycling paths, will be directly adjacent to the Al Ramz properties.

Whilst this positions the location favourably, there is the added risk of the plot neighbouring continued construction of yet another new development.

The developer is already selling off-plan units across its two towers, floor by floor, with prices starting from ⃁1.8 million (£360,000) for studios.

Fakeeh Care: the healthcare anchor

Fakeeh is treated differently from the residential and hospitality developers because it holds land through a long-term lease rather than a land purchase.

The hospital occupies three Zone 3 plots, sandwiched between the Arabian Dyar residential towers.

Its position gives Zone 3 a more complete urban mix, offering a permanent service that will be of value to those residing in Makkah.

The assets that will make Masar feel like a destination

Umm Al Qura is developing major anchor assets at the Haram-facing end.

Towers are currently rising for the package that includes Kempinski and Taj hotels. These flagship brands will create more than 1,100 hotel keys and 300 serviced apartments.

Each zone delivers a set of anchor assets, giving the rest of the development a chance to work. They create footfall, establish a reason to visit and make the surrounding plots easier to understand.

The bigger question

Masar has attracted more than ⃁40 billion of announced private-sector investment. It has 203 investment plots, but those plots are not all at the same stage and they are not all being developed in the same way.

The project is therefore best understood as an urban ecosystem.

Arabian Dyar brings residential supply to the station end. Al Ramz and Retal are helping shape the central zone. Hotels under major brands are being developed in the Haram-facing zone. Fakeeh adds healthcare to create a more permanent base. Umm Al Qura remains responsible for the infrastructure and the destination itself.

The question now is whether these pieces can operate as one place.

We will be tracking that question as the buildings rise.

For now, the next question is simpler: what did all these developers pay for their land?