Mind-Blowing Saudi Arabia Mukaab Project Details

Construction is officially underway on the Mukaab, a 400-metre-high cube in Riyadh that will be the world’s largest building — big enough to hold about 20 Empire State Buildings inside.

According to its developer, New Murabba Development Company, which is funded by Saudi Arabia’s central Public Investment Fund (PIF), excavations are already underway at the site. 

Here are the key Saudi Arabia Mukaab project details.

The Mukaab project, designed by AtkinsRéalis, forms the centrepiece of the 19-square-kilometre New Murabba development in northwest Riyadh. 

With 400-metre-long edges, the Mukaab will be classified as a supertall skyscraper—any building over 300 metres—and will become the tallest building in Riyadh. 

Bloomberg has described Mukaab, scheduled for completion in 2030, as the “largest built structure in the world,” surpassing the Boeing Everett Factory in the United States.

The cube will feature a near full-height atrium with a spiralling central tower and over two million square metres of shops, cultural venues, and tourist attractions. Its exterior will feature a façade of overlapping triangular forms inspired by modern Najdi architecture.

“New Murabba has a 15-minute mindset, which means that for residents and visitors, everything is available within 15 minutes of where they live, work, and play,” said Michael Dyke, CEO of the project. 

RELATED: Inside Saudi Arabia’s Plan to Build 2km Tall Skyscraper

The Mukaab will be a modern downtown, 100,000 homes, 980,000 sq metres of retail space, 1.4 million sq metres of offices, as well as hotels, a university, an immersive theatre, and an “iconic” museum.

The development is one of 14 “giga projects” currently underway in the kingdom, including the futuristic Neom, all part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 to diversify the economy.

The Mukaab has come under scathing criticism from those who feel it looks like the Kaaba in Mecca, the holiest site in the Muslim world, which could be seen as highly controversial.

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