Mecca in the research hope to find further fossils in the area. Telecommunications in the city were emphasized early under the Saudi reign. King Abdul Aziz Al-Saud (Ibn Saud) pressed them forward as he saw them as a means of convenience and better governance. While in King Husayn's time there were about 20 telephones in the entire city; in 1936 the number jumped to 450, totalling about half the telephones in the country. During that time, telephone lines were extended to Jeddah and Ta’if, but not to the capital Riyadh. By 1985, Mecca, like other Saudi cities, possessed modern telephone, telex,
Journey to Mecca the United States who wrote, "Not only does the film represent an accurate and respectful portrayal of Islam, it provides a wonderful opportunity for Muslims to celebrate a revered hero in Ibn Battuta and to honor our faith." "Journey to Mecca" won "Le Prix Du Public" Most Popular Film at Le Géode Film Festival, Paris, 2009, and a prize at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. Journey to Mecca Journey to Mecca: In the Footsteps of Ibn Battuta is an IMAX ("giant screen") dramatised documentary film charting the first real-life journey made by the Islamic scholar Ibn Battuta