The World’s Largest Building Breaks Ground in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

What is inside Mukaab?

Across more than two million square-feet of floor space, the world’s largest building will feature a range of retail, cultural, and tourist attractions, as well as residential and hotel units, commercial spaces and recreational facilities.

These functions will be housed along the four corners of this cube-shaped skyscraper. At the center will be a 1,300 foot tall dome-structured atrium with a spiraling tower encased inside. Clad with projection curtains on the inside, it will come to life with immersive digital and holographic experiences, similar to The Sphere.

At the core of this cube-shaped skyscraper is a towering spiral staircase that will form its public realm and entertainment zone.

Photo: New Murabba Development Company

When will Mukaab be complete?

Scheduled to be completed in 2030, the Mukaab skyscraper is part of the wider Murabba district—Riyadh’s new downtown. The project will contain over 100,000 residential units and 9,000 hotel rooms, as well as more than 10 million square-feet of shops and 15 million square-feet of office space. Announced by the Saudi crown prince HRH Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, chairman of the New Murabba Development Company, Riyadh’s new downtown will also be home to a museum, a technology and design university, and an extensive array of entertainment and cultural venues.

This construction is occurring amidst other problems with Saudi Arabia’s proposed futuristic architecture projects. The Line, for one, has faced setbacks: Originally slated to be 93 miles long, only a 1.4-mile-long stretch is expected to finish by 2030. From Trojena, a futuristic ski resort in the Saudi mountains, to the Line, to Mukaab, the kingdom’s headline-grabbing projects are bankrolled by its Public Investment Fund and are part of the Saudi Vision 2030 plan that aims to reposition the Arab nation as a destination for tourism, culture, and innovation.