Makkah: In an annual tradition, every year in the Islamic calendar on the first of Muharram 1446, the covering (Kiswa) of the Holy Kaaba is changed by 159 technicians and craftsmen. The old Kiswa will be removed and replaced by a new one, which consists of four separate sides and a door curtain. Each side will be raised separately to the top of the Kaaba in preparation for its unfolding over the old side. The new Kiswa will be fixed from above by tying it down, and the ropes of the old side will then be loosened. Over 200 craftsmen and administrators work at the King Abdulaziz Complex for Holy Kaaba Kiswa. The complex has departments for dyeing and automatic weaving, hand-weaving, printing, belts, gold-plating, and sewing and assembling. The sewing and assembling department includes the largest sewing machine in the world, which is 16 meters long and runs on a computer system. Supporting departments include the laboratory, administrative services, quality control, public relations, and health and safety for workers. The Kiswa requires about 1,000 kilograms of raw silk, dyed black at the complex, 120 kilograms of gold wire, and 100 kilograms of silver wire. Source: Saudi Press Agency