A Saudi appeals court has ordered about a dozen people accused of negligence in a deadly 2015 crane collapse at Islam's holiest site to stand trial again, newspapers reported on Wednesday.

By a vote of five to two, the appeals judges overturned the Makkah criminal court's decision that it had no jurisdiction over allegations of “safety breaches”, the Okaz and Saudi Gazette newspapers reported.

At least 109 people, including foreign pilgrims, were killed when the crane crashed into a courtyard of Makkah's Grand Mosque during high winds in September 2015.

The mosque draws millions of pilgrims from around the world each year.

Monday's ruling came after an appeal by prosecutors.

The accused included at least one Saudi "billionaire" and nationals of Pakistan, the Philippines, Canada and several Arab countries, the newspapers reported.

They gave no details of when hearings might resume, and have given differing figures for the number of accused, which are either 13 or 14.

The accused were charged with "negligence leading to death, damaging public property and ignoring safety guidelines", Okaz and Saudi Gazette said.

The crane was one of several the Saudi Binladin Group had erected as part of a multi-billion-dollar expansion plan to accommodate increasing numbers of faithful.

King Salman suspended the firm from new public contracts for several months after the tragedy.

Saudi Binladin Group, which developed landmark buildings in the kingdom, was founded more than 80 years ago by the father of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who was killed by US commandos in Pakistan in 2011.

Opinion

Editorial

AJK elections
29 Jul, 2026

AJK elections

CONSIDERING the political unrest that has rocked Azad Jammu and Kashmir in the recent past, free and fair general...
Still vulnerable
29 Jul, 2026

Still vulnerable

THE State Bank’s decision to hold the policy rate at 11.5pc is a prudent response to the heightened risks the...
Guarding the past
29 Jul, 2026

Guarding the past

THE return of 513 smuggled archaeological artefacts from the US is a welcome homecoming for objects that should ...
Lull in fighting
Updated 28 Jul, 2026

Lull in fighting

AFTER two weeks of escalating violence, the US has halted its strikes on Iran, with Tehran also silencing it guns....
Water policy
28 Jul, 2026

Water policy

THE country is caught in a crisis where there too much water at the wrong time and too little when it is most ...
Ending hepatitis
28 Jul, 2026

Ending hepatitis

WORLD Hepatitis Day is being observed under the theme ‘Hepatitis: Let’s break it down’, a call to remove the...