Saudi Arabia has unveiled a new ambitious development project to build a giant cube-shaped supertall skyscraper in the country’s capital.
Announciing the plan of 'The Mukaab' on Feb 16, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Muhammed bin Salman said the aim is to develop the world’s largest downtown in Riyadh by 2030. Mukaab, spanning 19 square kilometres, will be located at the intersection of King Salman and King Khalid roads to the northwest of Riyadh.
“The Mukaab,” which means cube in Arabic, will be built by the Saudi Arabia's New Murabba Development Company (NMDC) using Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund. megacities project is the latest in the series of giga projects that include NEOM, Red Sea Global, Diriyah Gate, Qiddiya, Aseer and Amaala
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Muhammed bin Salman | Reuters
The structure offers 25 million square meters of floor area, including more than 104,000 residential units, 9,000 hotel rooms, and more than 980,000 square meters of retail space, in addition to 1.4 million square meters of office space, 620,000 square meters of leisure assets, and 1.8 million square meters of space dedicated to community facilities, according to Arab News.
“The Mukaab expected to add SAR180bn to the country’s non-oil GDP and create 334,000 direct and indirect jobs by 2030. It will transform Saudi Arabia into a world leader in tourism, technology and the creative industries.
"The Mukaab will provide Riyadh with a unique icon that will make the city instantly recognizable among other world cities,” akin to the Eiffel Tower or the Sydney Opera House, Yasser Elsheshtawy, adjunct professor of architecture at Columbia University, New York and non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, told Arab News.
“There is a tendency among Western and Arab observers to dismiss such projects out of hand, describing them as acts of folly, and the outcome of people with too much money,” Yasser Elsheshtawy, adjunct professor of architecture at Columbia University, New York and non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, told Arab News.
However, the 400 meters cubic exterior that resembles the Islamic holy Kaaba has attracted criticism from some quarters.
