Mukaab, the world's largest skyscraper, is one of the most ambitious construction projects ever conceived. However, according to a new report, Saudi authorities have stopped work on the the gigantic building, and its future now looks uncertain.
Mukaab would have risen to an impressive height of 400 m (1,312 ft) in the Saudi capital Riyadh. More importantly, it would also have been just as long and wide as it is tall. This would make it able to theoretically fit 20 Empire State Buildings inside of it and cement its status as the world's largest – though not tallest – skyscraper.
The design of the cuboid building's decorative exterior riffed on traditional Islamic architecture, while its interior would have had a floorspace of around 2 million square meters (0.77 square miles). At its center was to be another large twisting tower. Excavation work was nearing completion as of late 2024 and 10 million cubic meters (roughly 350 million cubic ft) of earth had already been removed.
However, according to a credible report by Reuters, Saudi authorities have stopped work on the development while they reassess its financing and feasibility. Additionally, the district that the new building would anchor, named New Murabba, has now been delayed from a 2030 completion date to 2040.
The report suggests that the kingdom is pivoting from heavy spending on flashy architecture projects in favor of getting ready for the 2034 World Cup soccer tournament and the Qiddiya tourism destination. It also reflects fiscal pressure from oil prices being well below levels required to fund the ambitious transformation. Another casualty of this new approach seems to be the Trojena gigaproject, as Saudi Arabia recently announced that it would indefinitely postpone hosting the 2029 Asian Winter Games there.
What all this means for the other remaining Saudi gigaprojects isn't clear at this stage, but the mood music coming from the desert country isn't positive. Still, as of writing, the world's new tallest building, the JEC Tower, is racing to completion and the skyscraper city, the Line is still underway too – at least for now.
Source: Reuters [paywalled]
