After announcement of development plans last year by Saudi’s Crown Prince, the New Murabba Development Company has finally released insights on the progress of The Mukaab and the larger New Murabba.
The New Murabba and The Mukaab
The New Murabba is envisioned to be Saudi Arabia’s capital’s next mixed-use downtown. Spanning 19 million square meters in land area at the intersection of the King Salman and King Khalid’s roads, The Murabba is expected to host at least 80 entertainment and cultural centers, and over 400,000 residential units in 18 residential complexes.
At the heart of the mixed-use downtown city is The Mukaab, what is conceived to be a giant monumental cube at the center of the city. This giant cube does not fall short of distinct exclusive features. Not only will it serve as an iconic landmark, but it will also feature residential units, hotels, offices, and commercial spaces. In it will also be a fully-featured digital and holographic experience to its visitors and residents. It has also been hailed as a modern depiction Najid architecture – taking its construction model after the Murabba Palace.
Upon completion of the 400 meter tall cube skyscraper, which is reportedly able to fit 20 Empire State buildings, it will be the largest building in the world.
According to the Public Investment Fund (PIF) owned company, the project is based on three main approaches that will be fully evident once the construction and development is complete. These are: sustainability – which is inline with current global needs on the environment and eco-systems as New Murabba will also be the world’s second climate-controlled indoor city.
Influence on culture – The Mukaab and The New Murabba, at large, will feature the exposition of world cultures to visitors and peoples all around the world. The human-centric approach will see that the project is as beneficial and inclusive to, and of people as possible. It will ensure their fulfillment with focus on culture, education, entertainment, and exquisite infrastructural designs. The smart transport systems included for the project will also add a feather to the human-centric cap the project manager says it possess.
Progress on the project
In a press release, the project manager announced that 86% of earth excavation on-site is complete. This exact area covered is reported to be 10 million cubic meters. With 900 workers on-site daily, and 250 excavators present, the pace set for the project is promising although the completion dates have not been explicitly announced – with word around being 2030, as the project is part of the Saudi Vision 2030. This project is pivotal in the Saudi Vision 2030 as it will create 334,000 jobs, and also add $48 billion (180 billion Saudi Riyals) to the kingdom’s non-oil GDP.
Along side the main project, a temporary bridge will also be constructed over the King Khalid’s road. The bridge will facilitate truck movement to and from the site, and is expected to reduce truck movement on the nearby public roads by around 800,000 counts.
Other promising features of the project will include smart transportation and sustainable infrastructure – both of which have not been exhaustively discussed by the project manager.
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