Jeddah: A "mentally ill" Saudi national tried to set himself on fire beside the Kaaba inside Mecca's Grand Mosque, the Islam's holiest site, police said yesterday.

The man, identified as a Saudi national, was dousing himself in gasoline when he was caught. "He was held before he went on with his dramatic self-immolation act and his behaviour indicates that he is mentally ill. All the necessary measures will be taken," said a spokesman.