World's largest hotel will now be in this Gulf country

The current world's number one hotel --- First World Hotel, Genting Highlands, Malaysia, boasts off 7,351 rooms.

The building, called Abraj Kudia, will contain 10,000 rooms and span 1.4 million square metres.

The project that is costing $3.5 billion to build will position Abraj Kudai well past the current world's number one hotel --- First World Hotel, Genting Highlands, Malaysia, boasting 7,351 rooms, and the runner up, The Venetian and The Palazzo, Las Vegas, US with 7,117 rooms.

The ambitious project will not only boast the most number of hotel rooms, but will also house one of the world's largest domes atop its tallest tower.

The Abraj Kudai will be conveniently located around the corner from the Masjid Al Haram, the world's largest mosque. Among the amenities planned for the colossal hotel are 70 restaurants, a convention center, helipads and prayer areas.

At 45 stories tall, the desert fortress-style hotel boasts 12 towers atop a 10-story podium, which also features a bus station, food courts, a shopping mall and an extravagant ballroom. Five floors of the hotel will be off limits to the most guests as they are reserved exclusively for the Saudi royal family.

The Abraj Kudai is being funded by the Saudi Ministry of Finance and designed by the Dar Al Handasah group.

The interiors of the hotel will be designed by the London-based Areen Hospitality Group. While there are no estimated room rates yet, they are expected to be on the higher end, especially since each of those 12 towers will have a helipad on top for guests who arrive via chopper.

Architectural experts said due to its unparalleled size, height as well as location, exposure and design, the building poses itself as a striking landmark with a profoundly modern multifunctional identity relating to both the Saudi locality and the Islamic universality of its expected users.

While First World Hotel in the Genting Highlands of Malaysia, the current record holder, has welcomed more than 35 million guests since 2006, given the huge annual pilgrimage traffic to the holy city, Abraj Kudai is poised to surpass that record within a far less time span.

Here's what to expect from the majestic hotel:

What's Abraj Kudai?

It is the world's largest hotel being built in the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia

What's inside?

The hotel will feature luxury rooms for wealthy pilgrims, a wing for the Saudi royal family, shopping malls, more restaurants than you could visit in a month, and a lavish ballroom.

When will it be ready?

The Abraj Kudai management is looking forward to receiving their first guests as early as next year.

Whose record is set to go?

The current record holder, in terms of total number of rooms, is the First World Hotel in the Genting Highlands of Malaysia. It has 7,351 rooms

Abraj Kudai in numbers

10,000 rooms

12 towers

45 storeys in largest towers

5 floors will be reserved solely for the use of the Saudi royal family

4 helipads

70 restaurants

$3.5 billion is the cost of building

64,000 m² is the footprint of the building

1,400,000 m² is the total floor area

Makkah magnet

2 million pilgrims visit Makkah each year for Haj

20 million people visit the city annually

Top 10 | The world's largest hotels

. First World Hotel, Genting Highlands, Malaysia - 7,351 rooms

. The Venetian and The Palazzo, Las Vegas, US - 7,117

. MGM Grand Las Vegas + The Signature, Las Vegas, US - 6,852

. CityCenter, Las Vegas, US - 6,790

. Sands Cotai Central, Macau - 6,000

. Izmailovo Hotel, Moscow, Russia - 5,000

. Wynn Las Vegas + Encore Las Vegas, Las Vegas, US - 4,750

. Mandalay Bay + Delano + Four Seasons, Las Vegas, US - 4,426

. LuxoR, Las Vegas, US - 4,407

. Ambassador City Jomtien, Pattaya, Thailand - 4,219

• Saudi Arabia