World’s Longest Sewing Machine Helps Complete the 2026 Kiswah

Key Takeaways

• The new cover for the Holy Kaaba has been fully assembled at the King Abdulaziz Complex for the Kaaba Cover in Makkah.
• Each of the four side pieces is a silk panel 14 metres long and one metre wide, lined with white cotton.
• The world’s longest sewing machine, guided by laser systems, joins the embroidered silk and inner lining with extreme precision.

Stitching the Kiswah

The final stages of putting together the Kaaba’s new covering have finished inside the King Abdulaziz Complex for the Kaaba Cover in Makkah.

The work sits at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s care for the Two Holy Mosques. Salah Abdullah Al-Sulami, head of the Kaaba Cover Assembly and Sewing Department, described the process.

Work starts with the inner lining, a white cotton fabric prepared for each of the four faces of the Kaaba.

This lining is then joined to the embroidered silk panels. Each silk piece measures roughly 14 metres in length and one metre across.

Islamic phrases and geometric motifs repeat across the fabric in woven patterns. The panels are put together in a precise geometric order to form the full outer garment.

Laser-Guided Sewing

The department uses one of the largest and longest sewing machines in the world. Advanced laser control systems direct the needle and thread paths.

This keeps every seam straight and every joint perfectly aligned. The machine makes sure the parts of the covering meet without distortion, delivering the highest quality befitting the Kaaba.

From the first thread to the final seam, the making of the Kiswah follows a chain of skill handed down through generations.

The finished cover stands as a mark of the Kingdom’s commitment to preserving this Islamic craft with precision and care.