The hajj pilgrims descend on a city that is massively reshaping itself. Saudi artist Ahmed Mater captures the grittier side of the holy city – the migrant workers, the tireless construction and the eye-opening sprawl

• Ahmed Mater’s new book Desert of Pharan: Unofficial Histories behind the Mass Expansion of Mecca is published by Lars Müller Publishers

• A prayer for Mecca: the city many hajj pilgrims don’t see – video