The New Face of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia to build the world’s largest modern downtown in Riyadh with an iconic landmark “Mukaab”at its center

The New Murabba project plans to build the world’s largest modern downtown in Riyadh, contributing to the city’s future development in line with Saudi ‘s Vision 2030, adding SAR180 billion to non-oil GDP and creating 334,000 direct and indirect jobs, according to the company. Sustainability will be a core theme of the project as it features green areas, walking and cycling paths that will enhance the quality of life of its visitors by promoting healthy and active lifestyles. It will also feature an iconic museum, a technology and design university, a multipurpose immersive theater, and more than 80 entertainment and culture venues. A 20-minutes drive from the airport, the New Murabba project will offer living, working and entertainment experiences within a 15-minute walking radius and will even have its own internal transport system. Situated at the intersection of King Salman and King Khalid roads to the North West of Riyadh, it will expand over an area of 19 square kilometers, to accommodate hundreds of thousands of residents. It will offer more than 25 million sqm of floor area, featuring more than 104,000 residential units, 9,000 hotel rooms, and more than 980,000 sqm of retail space, as well as 1.4 million sqm of office space, 620,000 sqm of leisure assets, and 1.8 million sqm of space dedicated to community facilities.

The focal point of the new downtown area will be the “Mukaab”, an iconic landmark standing 400m high and featuring the latest innovative technologies. The cubic shape of the “Mukaab” will ensure the ultimate utilization of space to accommodate the technologies necessary to develop the building, which will be inspired by the modern Najdi architectural style. It will encompass a tower atop a spiral base, and a structure featuring 2 million sqm of floor space that will house a multitude of restaurants, retail, cultural and tourist attractions, along with residential and hotel units, commercial spaces, and recreational facilities. Due to be complete in 2030, the project is part of PIF’s strategy to unlock the capabilities of promising sectors and diversify sources of income for the Saudi economy.