Work on The Mukaab, slated to become the world’s largest building, is well and truly underway – as pressure builds for developers to hit the first phase deadline
An insanely ambitious giga-project to create the world’s largest building is well underway, despite growing criticism. Back in 2023, Saudi Arabia caught everybody’s attention after unveiling plans for The Mukaab: a cubed skyscraper large enough to fit 20 Empire State Buildings inside.
Slated to be a staggering 400 metres tall and 400m wide and cost a whopping $50 billion (around £39 billion), the square building will boast more than two million square metres of floor space and ‘redefine’ Riyadh’s skyline. It will include the world’s first fully-enclosed skyscraper and a dome that will display holographic images that transport patrons of the building’s 500-room hotel to different places around the world.
“The Mukaab combines modern Najdi architecture with cutting-edge technologies, including immersive digital and holographic experiences, featuring premium hospitality, retail, cultural, and tourist attractions, residential and hotel units, commercial spaces, and recreational facilities,” the building’s website states. “At the Gateway to the Mukaab, a distinct directional experience transitions visitors from the bustling urban street to a serene pedestrian path.”
In a recent update, The Mukaab showed a vast amount of land that had been excavated and dozens of diggers continued clearing the rubble. It claims to have hit its 2024 target and has excavated an average of 30km squared per day; It has also completed five out of six bridge spans, and says its new headquarters is near completion.
According to Bloomberg, Michael Dyke, chief executive officer of New Murabba, said the first phase of the building’s construction is set to be completed by 2030 and will include about 8,000 homes — enough for about 35,000 people. This timing is supposed to coincide with Saudi Arabia hosting Expo 2030, a trade show with more than 190 countries represented.
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The Mukaab signals Saudi Arabia’s pivot away from relying on oil, as it tries to establish itself as a tourist destination. It is slated to host the 2034 World Cup, but has already insisted visitors will have to ditch booze for the competition, in alignment with the country’s strict alcohol rules.
However, The Mukaab is already shrouded in controversy – with many members of the Muslim community comparing its design to the Kaaba, a stone building in the holy city of Mecca. The Saudi Vision 2030 plan includes the construction of several megaprojects – was also subject to an ITV investigation last year, which claimed a staggering 21,000 Indian, Bangladeshi, and Nepalese workers died in the country, since 2017, while working on the projects. The similarly ambitious project The Line has already been scaled past, casting doubt on Saudi Arabia’s ability to deliver The Mukaab it envisions.
The Mukaab has been approached for comment.
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