Wolff cranes on landmark job in Riyadh

The Sheikh Saleh Al-Rajhi Mosque is a new, modern centre for religion and the community is being built at the  King Abdullah Road at the heart of Riyadh, capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Two Wolff cranes are assisting on the jobsite that, due to its position, requires an enormous amount of planning.

A WOLFF 6015.8 Clear (left) and a WOLFF 7532.12 Cross have been building the roughly 5.300 m² Sheikh Saleh Al-Rajhi Mosque on King Abdullah Road in Riyadh since March 2025.

For the project, contractor Rowad al Riyadh rented a Wolff 6015.8 Clear with a hook height of 51 metres, a jib radius of 60 metres, a capacity of 8 tonnes, as well as a Wolff 7532.12 Cross with a hook height of 41.6 metres with a 70 metre jib radius, and a lifting capacity of 12 tonnes. Both cranes have been working on the jobsite since March 2025.

The large, prefabricated facade elements and the complex roof design require exceptionally precise positioning, according to the company. At the same time, the jibs must be designed with maximum reach in order to cover all areas of the roughly 10,000 square metre construction site.

Its position directly by the bustling Abdullah Road and next to a metro station brings about space constraints and requires comprehensive coordination. Even the climate presents significant challenges: heat, dust and afternoon storms require a well-conceived, strictly timed deployment planning.

“As a result, many of the lifting operations are performed in the early morning or late afternoon hours for safety reasons, if the weather conditions are stable and traffic and pedestrian flows are low”, said Tariq Al-Sawaie, managing director Wolffkran Ltd, Saudi Arabia.

The two tower cranes are equipped with both an anti-collision system and Wolff Link. The first of these systems prevents collisions by automatically slowing down and stopping cranes that come too close to obstacles or other cranes. The second allows live activity monitoring and real-time alerts in case of critical operating conditions.

As early as in the planning phase, the Wolffkran team conducted reach studies, defined safety zones, and adjusted jib and hook positions to enable maximum construction site coverage while minimally impacting public areas. Apart from the Wolff cranes, the contractor particularly values this preliminary work, which delivers a smooth construction process from now up to 4th quarter 2026, according to Wolffkran.

The Sheikh Saleh Al-Rajhi mosque is being built on an area of roughly 5,300 square metres and provides room for about 2,300 worshipers. It is elegantly integrated into the public infrastructure thanks to its central position. Architecturally speaking, it is reminiscent of traditional, Islamic desert tents but interpreted in a modern light with eye-catching roof shells, glass portals, and shady forecourts. This project expands Wolffkran’s presence in Saudi Arabia, where they are executing a mosque project together with the Rowad al Riyadh company for the first time.