In 1417 H (1996), a comprehensive renovation of the Ka’bah was undertaken, focusing on the interior ceiling, pillars, and floor.
To select the material for the three Ka’bah pillars that would support the roof, specialists visited the forests of Nilimbour and Rangoon in Burma specifically to examine the available trees. It was determined that the required materials for the Holy Ka’bah's ceiling could be sourced from these forests. The Saudi Bin Ladin Group appointed representatives to coordinate with specialized Burmese firms through the Ministry of Forests in Burma. These representatives were authorized to select suitable trees, supervise their cutting, transport them to the lathe, choose the best ones, and ship them to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The search for specific teak trees in Burma extended into the forests of Bayo, Kana, and Mediek regions, which are 1000 kilometers away from the capital. The area studied amounted to 13,000 donums, and the best trees were found in forests 250 kilometers from Rangoon.
A total of 137 trees were selected, cut, and transported to the lathe, but only 49 pieces were chosen. These pieces were shipped to Jeddah, where they remained for 6 months to dry in a relatively natural atmosphere. They were then placed in a specially adjusted drying oven. For the large-sized pieces, humidity was reduced to 15%. Although teak wood resists white ants and fungi, the wood was treated with a protective coating of Boracol for extra protection. This material is non-toxic, colorless, and odorless. Rust-proof iron bands were wrapped around the upper edges of the girders and pillars that form the load points and supports. Softwood pieces were discarded.
All parts of the ceiling and pillars were chosen to resemble previous specifications. Pillars were placed at equal distances to distribute the loads on the walls and inner pillars evenly.