There are some truly giant constructions out there that make you question how mankind ever built them. The Ancient Egyptians are immortalized by the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, while the likes of the Great Wall of China, The Colosseum, and La Sagrada Familia jump out as other mind-blowing creations. More recently, we've seen Dubai construct the Burj Khalifa in Dubai as the world's tallest building at an impressive 828 meters (2,717 ft).
Saudi Arabia's NEOM project looks like it will continue to push the boundaries of what is humanly possible when it comes to engineering, but keen to continue the country's reputation for colossal structures, construction underway on Riyadh's Mukaab.
Tipped to be 400-meters on each side, the Mukaab will be the largest built structure in the world if it goes ahead as planned. It's impressive stature of 1,300ft high and 1,200ft wide
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means it would be able to house 20 Empire State Buildings. For anyone who's visited New York, you'll know it's a lot bigger than it looks on the postcards.
This giant cube is set to be the focal point of New Murabba, which is billed as a community that will be the focus of Riyadh.
New Murabba Development Co. had already shifted over 10 million cubic meters of ground so the Mukaab's construction can start. The developer hopes to award contracts that are worth tens of billions of riyals (Saudi Arabia's currency). There will be schools, health care facilities, shops, restaurants, and a 45,000-seat stadium.
Inside, the Mukaab won't have 20 Empire State Buildings, but instead, giant holographic projections will be powered by AI to show off different destinations. This is reflected on the exterior, as the outer walls will be fitted with VR tech.
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Michael Dyke, Chief Executive Officer of New Murabba said: "It’s masquerading as a building today but it’s so much more. Ultimately, a capital city the size of Riyadh deserves to have a global, central icon as other capital cities do."
Despite its grand scale, there have already been complaints about the Mukaab. Notably, critics have called out its similarities to Mecca's Kaaba, which is considered Islam's holiest shrine. Some are unhappy in the comparisons between the two, especially as the Mukaab will be filled with apartments and entertainment spaces rather than religious worship.
Others are worried that the Mukaab is being 'built on Saudi blood,' amidst ethical concerns about where the workforce is coming from and whether workers will be fairly compensated. This comes after NEOM has been hit with a slew of embarrassing setbacks.
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As well as accusations that 'The Line' has been massively scaled back, some are questioning whether the scorching climate of Saudi Arabia is really the place to hold the 2029 Asian Winter Games. If that was't enough, a lack of transparency about how AI will be used has many fearing this will be more of a dystopia than a utopia.
New Murabba is just one of the many 'giga-projects' that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is focused on in a bid to push away from Saudi Arabia's reliance on crude oil.
Whether the Mukaab will be a golden cube that rivals Giza remains to be seen, but safe to say, there's a long way to go until it'll be finished.