It sometimes feels that we're specks on the surface of planet Earth, and with more and more megastructures emerging every year, it's not hard to see why.
If you want to feel even more like a tiny ant in a giant machine, you could soon be one of 27,000 people who live inside Riyadh's $50 billion Mukaab.
As part of the massive Saudi Vision 2030 project, the Mukaab will sit inside the New Murabba district and tower above us all at a colossal 400 meters (1,300 ft). While it's hard to picture, the Mukaab is big enough to house 20 Empire State Buildings.
With a design inspired by Riyadh's Murabba Palace (but on a much grander scale), the Mukaab was announced by the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in February 2023 and started construction last year.
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According to Arab News, Michael Dyke, CEO of New Murabba Development Co., has cheered the Mukaab as a build that will live up to its giga-project status: "Mukaab is a structure that will be, pound for pound, the world’s most complex structure ever created—known to man or woman in the history of time.
"We have a structure that is 400 metres by 400 meters above the ground. We’re talking about a structure that will stand more than 1,000 meters above sea level."
More than just towering above over structures in the area, the Mukaab has a massive underground presence, with Dyke continuing: "Below the ground is enormous as well. It’s a complete cavernous labyrinth of various asset classes.
"For example, the retail space beneath and around Mukaab will be the size of Dubai Mall today, with the capability of expanding even further. That’s just a small glimpse of what lies underground."
There will be equally massive builds internally, including a dome that spans 360,000 square meters and a massive tower in the center: "This will be the only skyscraper in the world housed inside another building—equivalent in size to the Eiffel Tower but fully inhabited."
The lower tower is planned to provide accommodation for 27,000 people, also boasting the world's largest roof that spans a jaw-dropping 16 hectares.
Living inside sounds like quite the experience, as Dyke concluded: "When you step inside the dome, you’ll be transported to other worlds. These worlds will change frequently, and you won’t even see the dome when you’re inside—it will be a fully immersive experience."
On the outside, the Mukaab will have a fully activated Najdi façade that homages the historic architecture of the region.
When all three phases of New Murabba are complete, it's expected to house some 400,000 residents and bring tens of millions of tourists to Mukaab, while the population of Saudi Arabia’s capital is expected to peak at 10 million by 2030.
With this poised to generate a fortune for the economy, it'll hopefully help claw back some of the Mukaab's hefty price tag.