Business & Money | Tuesday 23 June, 2015 4:31 am |

The factory making the kiswa, or covering of the Kaaba, has recently been upgraded with high-tech machines to speed up the manufacturing process.
Mohammed bin Abdullah Bajawda, general manager of the factory, said that under the guidance of Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, president of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs, and his deputy Mohammad bin Nasser Al-Khuzaim, the plant’s production and techniques are being constantly improved.

The factory has the latest equipment and systems to manufacture the Kiswa, which is a significant part of Islamic culture and history “in this unique and sacred place on the face of earth,” he said.

He said the divisions of the factory include the belt, the sewing of the cover, laundry, printing division, and automated and manual weaving operations. There are about 140 Saudis handling these operations.
He said Al-Sudais recently launched the most state-of-the-art machine imported for the manufacturing operations, made by Tajima in Japan, according to a recent report in a local publication.

“The machine produces flags and emblems according to the presidency’s specifications. The machine with its two heads contains six colors and operates at up to 1,000 stitches a minute, thus reducing the time needed to complete a logo or other product. A further eight machines are expected to arrive in the Kingdom soon,” he said.
The manager of the factory said the internal cover of the Kaaba is also produced in the factory, in addition to the cover of the Prophet’s chamber and the flags of the Kingdom. He said the factory welcomes visitors according to pre-arranged schedules. The late King Abdulaziz started construction on the factory in 1927. It has been upgraded several times over the years at Umm Eljoud in Makkah.