The-Mukaab on SAUDI VISION 2030 Intelligence Platform

New Murabba

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Definition

New Murabba is a 19-square-kilometre master-planned mixed-use development in the al-Qirawan district of northwestern Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Developed by New Murabba Development Company (NMDC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), it is designed as Riyadh’s new downtown district. The development’s signature landmark is The Mukaab, a 400-metre cube-shaped structure whose construction was suspended in January 2026.

Overview

New Murabba is planned to deliver 104,000 residential units, 9,000 hotel rooms, 980,000 square metres of retail space, 1.4 million square metres of office space, and 620,000 square metres of leisure and entertainment facilities. The district targets 400,000 residents, 100,000 daily commuters, and 90 million annual visitors. It is projected to contribute SAR 180 billion ($48 billion) to Saudi Arabia’s non-oil GDP and create 334,000 direct and indirect jobs.

The Mukaab

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Definition

The Mukaab (Arabic: “the cube”) is a planned 400-metre-tall, 400-metre-wide, 400-metre-deep cube-shaped mega-structure in the al-Qirawan district of northwestern Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Announced in February 2023 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, it is the anchor landmark of the New Murabba development and would be the largest building in the world by volume if completed. Construction was suspended in January 2026 amid a broader recalibration of PIF giga-project spending.

Overview

The Mukaab is designed to contain approximately 2 million square metres of interior floor space across hotel, residential, retail, entertainment, and cultural uses. Its interior concept features a 300-metre spiral ziggurat tower and the world’s largest AI-powered immersive dome display. The design draws on Najdi architectural traditions and is developed by AtkinsRealis, with AECOM and Jacobs appointed for detailed engineering. The project is owned by New Murabba Development Company (NMDC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund.

The Mukaab: Inside Saudi Arabia's $50 Billion Cube and Why It Was Suspended

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Mukaab: Saudi Arabia’s $50B Cube and Why It Was Suspended

On 28 January 2026, The Mukaab was suspended before superstructure work began, turning the 400-metre cube at the centre of Riyadh’s New Murabba into the clearest test of Saudi giga-project reprioritisation. Excavation had reached 86 per cent and more than 10 million cubic metres of earth had been moved, but no official cancellation followed: the project moved from headline icon to delayed, capital-constrained megaproject.