Makkah: The historical factory that manufactures the Kiswa, the covering for the holy Kaaba in Makkah, is exploring the possibility of importing state-of-the-art technology from the US, Japan, Switzerland, Italy and Germany, to upgrade its facility in keeping with the modern times. Mohammed Abdullah Bajada, manager of the factory, said the factory had set up a committee to study the modernization process including cladding, sewing and embroidery of the Kiswa. On July 1, 1927, King Abdul Aziz ordered the construction of a special factory to be exclusively devoted to the manufacture of the Kiswa in Ajyad district in Makkah. This factory, which was built on an area of 1,500 square meters, was the first of its kind to be set up in Makkah.
When the factory was being set up, the Kingdom procured all the materials required to manufacture the Kiswa, including silk, dyes and looms, besides recruiting the workforce. In 1962, King Saud ordered that a house to manufacture the Kiswa should be set up in Makkah. Later in 1977, the new Kiswa factory at Umm Al-Jud in Makkah was inaugurated during the reign of King Khaled, although the ground-breaking ceremony took place during the era of King Faisal. This new factory incorporates departments devoted to various operations involved in the manufacture of the Kiswa, including dyeing and weaving the silk, embroidering the inscriptions with which the Kiswa is adorned, and putting together the different sections of the Kiswa. About 200 artisans combine their talents to manufacture the Kiswa.
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