Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has unveiled plans for a gigantic new planned edifice called New Murabba with Mukaab in the country’s capital Riyadh.
The Mukaab, as it will be known, will serve as the focal point of the city’s brand-new New Murabba downtown, according to the journal.
According to Futurism, it will be around one-third the size of Manhattan, encompassing an area of nearly seven square miles.
Because of its unique features, the massive structure is projected to change downtown Riyadh.
Mukaab is an ‘immersive’ concept
According to local news reports, the new proposed structure, which resembles a hollow cube, will be able to contain 20 times the capacity of New York’s Empire State Building.
It is said that its design was inspired by traditional Najdi architecture.
The 19-square-kilometer project is proposed to be built northwest of central Riyadh as a new downtown zone for Saudi Arabia’s capital city.
It will be erected around the Mukaab building, which is billed as the “new face of Riyadh” and is intended to be “one of the largest built structures in the world.”
“The world’s first immersive, experiential destination. Where hospitality, retail, and leisure reach new levels, all in breathtaking, ever-changing environments. A gateway to another world,” the New Murabba website says.
The structure will stand 400 meters tall and 400 meters long on each side, making it a supertall skyscraper.
A promotional film for the upcoming city was also released by the government. It will be the tallest tower in the city.
The project is overseen by the New Murabba Development Corporation (NMDC), a newly formed company launched by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.
The Mukaab: All about its infrastructure
The city will comprise everything from tourist attractions and hotels to residential units and commercial spaces.
According to Arab News, the “Mukaab” will include 104,000 residential units, 9,000 hotel rooms, 980,000 square meters of retail space, 1.4 million square meters of office space, an 80-venue entertainment and cultural program, another 1.8 million square meters of community facility space, and a technology and design-focused university.
According to the video, the project will also contain a museum, a multipurpose theater, and more than 80 recreational and cultural outlets.
The structure will have its transit system and will be 20 minutes by vehicle from the airport.
According to Futurism, the designers define “immersive” as a wholly digital and virtual world augmented by a sea of holograms that promises to “let you live on Mars” and other places.
Visitors can also see the deep sea and what look to be the floating Hallelujah Mountains from “Avatar,” according to a promotional video. In other words, it appears that they intend to develop this into a massive, practically virtual planetarium.
According to Arab News, New Murabba is intended to be developed with “sustainability” in mind, yet none of the project’s ridiculously large designs genuinely exude eco-friendliness.
Construction is now underway
According to Futurism, the structure will be completed by 2030, less than a year after the country announced plans for a 100-mile skyscraper that will house nine million people in the future.
According to reports, construction on the massive structure has already begun. It will be the main point of the cutting-edge NEOM facility, which was first shown in 2017 near the Gulf of Aqaba.
NEOM is a futuristic project
With billions of dollars in investments, the kingdom is embarking on a path to diversify its economy away from oil, create jobs, and boost its international status as a key center for trade and tourism.
To restructure the country, the Saudi government has launched around 15 megaprojects, ranging from redeveloping cities like AlUla and AMAALA to constructing new ones like King Salman Energy Park and NEOM.
The $500 billion city-state under construction in northwest Saudi Arabia, NEOM, claims to be humanity’s next chapter.
The city will cover 10,000 square kilometers in the Saudi Arabian province of Tabuk, adjacent to Jordan and Egypt.
The website claims that the futuristic megacity will be 33 times larger than New York City.
According to reports, the futuristic city-state is being built using clean energy sources and artificial intelligence. Although city officials have said that hyperloop and bullet trains will be available for transportation, residents will also be encouraged to use bicycles.
The Vault, a “vertical village within the mountain with a combination of technology, entertainment, and hospitality facilities,” and TROJENA, an all-year-round ski village, will be located at NEOM.