Inquiry: “Canadian and German contractors wittingly delay the completion of Algiers Grand Mosque”

Investigations are underway in Algeria into the huge delay recorded in the completion on due time of the mega mosque of Algiers located in the district of Caroubiers and in this regard the German, Canadian and Chinese contractors hired by the Algerian State are targeted by the investigators for hindering wittingly the delivery of this long-awaited project within the set deadlines.

Reliable sources told Echorouk that the investigators have found out that the Canadian and German contractors in charge of the project have deliberately shunned to work out the required feasibility studies designed to speed up the construction works in covert collusion with their third contractual partner namely the Chinese Construction Engineering Corporation.

The latter have also failed for their part to supply the necessary labour force for the carrying through of the building works despite earlier assurances made to the relevant authorities in Algeria that they would live up to their pledges.

The construction works have up to now progressed only at the low rate of around 30%, according to the same sources.

Almost as tall as the Eiffel Tower, the $1.3-billion worth mega mosque of Algiers will stand on 20 hectares of land and will be capable of hosting 120,000 worshippers within its prayer room. Its minaret will soar 270 meters high.

It will also feature a library containing one million books and manuscripts, a museum and a research center.

This future Algerian mosque will be one of the world’s largest. Only those in Saudi Arabia’s Mecca and Medina, one in Iran’s Mashhad and one in Bhopal, India are capable of welcoming more worshippers. One of Europe’s biggest mosques is situated in Grozny, Russia’s Chechen Republic.

The world’s highest mosque resides on the 158th floor of the tallest manmade structure – the 830-meter Burj Khalifa in Dubai.