Nineteen square kilometres, 25 million square metres of built space, an iconic landmark big enough to hold 20 Empire State Buildings – the world’s biggest modern downtown project, ‘New Murabba’ is here and promises to be the new face of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Launched recently by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prime Minister and Chairman of the New Murabba Development Company (NMDC), which will develop this futuristic project, New Murabba will contribute to Riyadh’s future development in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
Taking off on the urban concept of the ‘15-minute city’, New Murabba offers a unique living, working and entertainment experience within a 15-minute walking radius, and will have its own internal transport system.
Located at the intersection of King Salman and King Khalid roads to the North West of Riyadh – a short 20-minute drive from the airport, New Murabba will be developed over an area of 19 square kilometres, and will feature more than 104,000 residential units, 9,000 hotel rooms, more than 980,000 sqm of retail space, 1.4 million sqm of office space, 620,000 sqm of leisure assets, and 1.8 million sqm of dedicated community space.
At the heart of the development is the Mukaab, a cube-shaped landmark building designed as a world-first immersive, experiential destination housing hospitality, retail and leisure offerings.
Conceptualised as one of the largest built structures in the world, the 400m x 400m x 400m building is inspired by the modern Najdi architectural style, and will offer an immersive experience created by digital and virtual technologies.
Featuring 2 million sqm of floor space, the Mukaab will be a premium hospitality destination with a multitude of retail, cultural and tourist attractions, along with residential and hotel units, commercial spaces, and recreational facilities.
Built around the concept of sustainability, the New Murabba project will offer green areas, and walking and cycling paths to promote healthy, active lifestyles and community activities. It will also feature an iconic museum, a technology and design university, a multipurpose immersive theatre, and more than 80 entertainment and cultural venues.
The project is expected to create 334,000 direct and indirect jobs, and is due to be completed in 2030.
