Vaidehi Bhargava
Saudi Arabia has started construction on The Mukaab, set to be the world’s largest building as part of the New Murabba development in Riyadh. This ambitious project is designed as a massive 400-meter cube, a structure large enough to house 20 Empire State Buildings, and is inspired by traditional Islamic architecture. The Mukaab will encompass an enormous 2 million square meters of floor space, primarily dedicated to commercial, residential, and entertainment facilities. The interior will feature a spiraling central tower along with advanced holographic technology to create immersive experiences for visitors, displaying virtual scenes that range from underwater worlds to outer space.
The project is a central component of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, aiming to diversify the nation’s economy by positioning Riyadh as a global hub for tourism and business. Upon completion, the Mukaab will stand as one of the most versatile and advanced structures in the world, with the capacity to host thousands of residents, visitors, and tourists within a single interconnected space.
The construction effort itself has been unprecedented, with massive excavation work underway to remove over 10 million cubic meters of earth from the site. This task has involved an extensive fleet of construction machinery, including roughly 250 excavators and over 400 pieces of equipment, with a workforce of 900 people on-site daily. A temporary bridge is being built across Riyadh’s King Khalid Road to streamline logistics, reducing the traffic of heavy trucks on public roads and enabling smoother operations within the construction zone.
Managed by the New Murabba Development Company, the Mukaab is part of a broader plan for the New Murabba district, which will span 19 square kilometers and host a wide range of facilities, including over 100,000 residential units, thousands of hotel rooms, and countless retail, cultural, and recreational spaces. The district itself is projected to support Riyadh’s expansion by creating a walkable, technologically advanced urban area that enhances the quality of life for residents while attracting international visitors and investors.
Set to be completed by 2030, the Mukaab is part of a series of “giga-projects” across Saudi Arabia, which include NEOM’s The Line, a linear city project, and other high-profile initiatives. These projects are collectively intended to reshape Saudi Arabia’s urban and economic landscapes, signaling its ambitions to be a leader in architectural innovation and sustainable development.
In total, The Mukaab not only symbolizes a blend of heritage and modernity but also represents a future of unparalleled architectural ambition that aims to redefine global standards in urban development.