Saudi Arabia has launched a request for companies to form new consortiums for the Mukaab, a cuboid structure that could become the world’s largest building.
Why It Matters
The $50 billion project is being constructed in the New Murabba of Riyadh and is part of the “Saudi Vision 2030” initiative, aiming to diversify the economy beyond oil and position the capital as a major global city.
The government’s “Vision 2030” initiative includes several other megaprojects, such as Neom, a linear city being built in the country’s northern desert
What To Know
The New Murabba Development Company (NMDC), which manages the Mukaab’s construction site, issued a prequalification notice on May 5, with a June 12 deadline, calling for companies to enter consortiums for the building’s central structure, which will be approximately 1,312-feet-tall.
The NMDC said the contract would cover main works for the Mukaab, which will cover the central spire that the rest of the cube is built around. The final building will be perfectly symmetrical in height, depth and width.
This means that the Mukaab will be the largest building in the world by volume once completed, with over 60 million square meters of space inside. That’s enough to house 20 Empire State Buildings.
For comparison, the current largest building in the world by volume, the Boeing Everett Factory in Washington state, is just 13 million square meters large.
The area inside the Mukaab will feature a museum, a technology and design university, multiple theaters, and more than 80 other entertainment and cultural venues, according to the building’s official promotional site. Officials also want the first phase of construction to include around 8,000 homes, enough for 35,000 people.
What People Are Saying
The New Murabba Development Company (NMDC) said in a statement on the Mukaab’s website: “Spanning 2 million square meters of floor space, The Mukaab redefines luxury with its immersive shopping, dining, and cultural offerings. It’s a hub of connectivity, accessible via major roads, embodying innovation.
“Here, the New Murabba Public Art program transforms the space into an immersive, technologically advanced destination, blending the virtual with the real for a unique experience.”
Michael Dyke, chief executive officer of NMDC, said that the cube structure symbolizes “the next chapter” for Riyadh, making it an “iconic symbol of Saudi ingenuity” while also creating 334,000 new jobs.
“Ultimately, a capital city the size of Riyadh deserves to have a global, central icon as other capital cities do,” he told Bloomberg in an interview last year.
What Happens Next
Official timelines for the Mukaab say that overall completion is being targeted for 2030, but like many other “Vision 2030” projects, the schedule is in doubt, as construction has been slow to take off.
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