2025 is a year full of mega project reports, especially in Saudi Arabia. Once known as Bumi Ambiya, it is now better known as the most unique, extreme and world-record-breaking architectural location. Below is a list of the 10 most up-and-coming architecture news of 2025.
1. King Salman Gate Project Surrounds the Grand Mosque, Adding Prayer Space for 900,000 Worshippers
The Grand Mosque is the largest mosque in the world with a target of having a capacity to accommodate 2.5 million worshippers by 2030. To meet this target, the King Salman Gate Project was announced by Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz with a prayer space of up to 900,000 worshippers.
King Salman Gate is a multi-purpose project that houses residences, hotels, shopping malls, restaurants and various commercial infrastructure. It consists of several towers built opposite the world's tallest clock, Makkah Tower. It has a floor space of 12 million square meters or the equivalent of 1680 football fields.
The construction cost, the height of the tower and when King Salman Gate will be completed have not yet been announced by the PIF. But this project is among those announced under the Saudi Vision 2030 program worth $196 million (~RM 828 million). It will be developed by RUA AlHaram AlMakki, a subsidiary of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF). With the construction of this mega project, Saudi Arabia says that they will be able to accommodate up to 30 million pilgrims per year in the city of Mecca.
2. Construction of the World's Longest Building The Line Reportedly Has Problems
The Line- Hidden Marina
With the The Line project in Neom, Saudi Arabia wants to become a country with not only the longest but also the largest building ever built in the history of homo sapiens civilization. It is the brainchild of Prince Muhammad bin Salman with a length of 170km and a height of 500 meters.
Last month, the Financial Times reported that The Line is experiencing several major problems that will cause the project to be scaled down from its original scale. The first issue is the building design which was found to be unfeasible due to violating the laws of physics and architecture.
Construction of the first phase of The Hidden Marina has begun and it will have a giant ship port and arch complete with a giant chandelier. Due to its mega size, engineers found that this chandelier could not be built because it would sway all the time until it destroyed itself.
The original cost of the building is also now believed to have jumped to more than $4.5 trillion from the original estimate of $1 trillion. Saudi Arabia hoped that foreign investment would be able to cover part of the cost but it failed to be achieved.
Due to all the issues above, the original plan to build the first 20 modules along 16 km has now been reduced to only 3 modules. It will house the port, residences and the world's highest stadium which will be used for the Saudi Arabia 2034 World Cup.
3. China Begins Construction of the World's Largest Hydroelectric Dam with an Output of 300 Billion kWh Per Year
Three Gorges Dam
Last July, China began the construction project of the world's largest hydroelectric dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River, Tibet. This mega project will provide 300 billion kWh of electricity per year, which is three times higher than the Three Gorges Dam, which is the world's largest hydroelectric dam and almost 10 times the power output of all hydroelectric dams in Malaysia.
The project was launched by Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang on Saturday with an estimated construction cost of 1.2 trillion Yuan (~RM 709 billion). It is still unknown when the project will be fully completed. Although built in China, the electricity generated will be for external needs. The construction of this dam has been planned since 2020 and was only approved by the government in December 2024.
The construction of this dam has caused diplomatic tensions with India and Bangladesh because the Yarlung Tsangpo River supplies water to the Brahmaputra River that flows through both countries. There are concerns that China will block water to the Brahmaputra when the dam is completed.
4. Jesselton Docklands Is an Eco-Friendly Themed Project in Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu will have a new attraction, Jesselton Docklands, which will be developed with several eco-friendly features. Jesselton Docklands is located about 15 minutes from Kota Kinabalu International Airport and is being developed to revitalize the old port area as a cultural and community hub.
The project was designed by Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta, taking inspiration from local fishing villages while integrating organic layout elements, ventilation and natural shelter. Among the design elements used are bioswales that filter rainwater using plants and the use of landscaping to control flooding, especially during the cyclone season.
Jesselton Docklands will have five zones, namely The Bedrock, The Enclave, The Reef, The Tides and The Holm. The Bedrock will house shopping spaces and boutique hotels. The Enclave will house a ferry terminal, luxury hotels and gardens. The two towers in The Enclave will take inspiration from the peak of Mount Kinabalu.
The Reef will house plazas, floating parks and public spaces. The Tides will be a port and terminal for cruise ships. Finally, The Holm will house residential areas with a river and schools.
5. Manchester United Reveals New Stadium Design With Red Devil Trident Elements
Manchester United's new stadium design was revealed in March, incorporating the red devil trident elements featured on the club's logo. The stadium design was produced by the leading architectural firm Foster + Partners. When completed, it will be able to accommodate up to 100,000 spectators. This is an increase from the 74,000 spectators that Old Trafford can accommodate.
The roof section, which is lifted by three 200-meter-high trident-like pillars, will act as a barrier to the hot sun and also house a rainwater collection system and solar panels. This will reduce the stadium's operating costs because the electricity and water requirements can be produced independently.
The stadium will be built on a new site near the 115-year-old Old Trafford. There are plans to transform Old Trafford into a stadium after the club moves to a new stadium.
The area around the stadium will also be redeveloped into residential areas. The construction of this new stadium is estimated to cost around £2 billion (~RM 11.65 billion) with the construction process expected to take 5 years.
6. The World's Longest Suspension Bridge Will Be Built in Italy
Italy is now ready to begin the construction project of the world's longest suspension bridge that will connect the islands of Sicily and Calabria located in Southern Italy. When completed by 2032, the Messina Strait Bridge will have a 3,300-meter-long suspension span. This will surpass the record held by the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge in Turkey, which has a 2,023-meter-long suspension span.
The estimated construction cost is €13.5 billion (~RM 66.6 billion) and it will have six lanes of road, double track for trains and two lanes for maintenance. The two towers that will support the weight of the bridge will be 400 meters high.
The idea of building a bridge across the Messina Strait has existed since Roman times, but technological constraints have prevented it from being built. A regular bridge cannot be built because the strait is used for shipping and is located in an earthquake-prone area.
7. Saudi Arabia Reportedly to Build a 2-Kilometer-High Building
JEC Tower mock-up image
The world's tallest building at the moment is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, at 828 meters. But the Jeddah Economic Company Tower (JEC Tower) with a final height of 1007 meters will overtake it when it is completed in 2028. But in March, reports emerged that a 2-kilometer-high building will be built in Riyadh, which will make the JEC Tower look dwarfed.
According to the MEED report, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) has begun accepting bids from management companies to build this 2-kilometer tower on the outskirts of Riyadh. The building, which still has no name, is designed by leading architectural firm Foster & Partners. This is in line with rumors that a tower taller than 1 KM will be built in Riyadh that began to be heard in 2022.
If the project goes as planned, Riyadh will become the city with the tallest building in the world and also the largest cube-shaped building in the world through the Mukaab project. Construction of Mukaab, nicknamed the “Kaaba of Ignorance,” began last year and will have a height of 400 meters and a floor area of 2 million square meters.
8. Norway Builds World's Deepest Tunnel 390M Below Sea Level
The deepest underground tunnel in Malaysia is the SMART Tunnel, which is located about 20 meters below sea level. It is the first tunnel in the world to carry vehicles and also rainwater when needed. But the depth of the SMART Tunnel cannot be compared to the Rogaland Fastforbindelse (Rogfast) project currently under construction in Norway.
Rogfast, when completed, will be the deepest underground tunnel for vehicles in the world, located 390m below sea level. It will also be the world's longest underground tunnel, measuring 27 kilometres.
The project is being built to connect Randaberg, Bokn and Kvitsøy, which are currently separated by the sea. Residents who have been relying on ferry services will be able to shorten their journey by 40 minutes.
The project was originally started in 2018 but was delayed due to lack of funding. It was supposed to open by 2025 but has now been postponed to 2033. The total cost of the project is estimated at NOK 25 billion (~RM 10.25 billion).
9. Egypt and Saudi Arabia Want to Build a Bridge Across the Red Sea
The story of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) crossing the Red Sea is recorded in the Torah, the Gospel, and the Quran. His miracle allowed the Red Sea to be parted for his followers and he escaped from being pursued by Pharaoh. No one has a miracle now, but crossing the Red Sea could soon be possible between Saudi Arabia and Egypt using a bridge.
Egyptian Transport Minister Kamel al-Wazir was quoted as saying that Saudi Arabia and Egypt are in talks to build a bridge to connect the two countries. He also did not rule out that if the bridge is not built, it will be replaced with an undersea tunnel.
There has been no official announcement or location where this bridge will be built. Previously, plans to build a bridge were proposed by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud but never continued.
It is likely to be built across the Strait of Tiran near the Gulf of Aqaba to allow the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt to be directly connected to The Line in NEOM, which Saudi Arabia is developing as a tourist destination. In the Strait of Tiran, only about 7 kilometers separate these two countries.
10. Beast Land Theme Park Opens in Saudi Arabia
After successfully dominating YouTube and launching a TV show on Prime Video, MrBeast is now jumping headlong into the theme park arena. Beast Land opened in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in November and will feature exciting attractions and activities where visitors can participate in a variety of activities to win great prizes.
Beast Land consists of two main zones, with Beast Land featuring a MrBeast-themed world complete with rides, a MrBeast product sales area and a restaurant. The second zone is the Beast Zone featuring a variety of activities similar to the Beast Games TV show.
Visitors can test their skills to win exciting and great prizes by completing challenges like those in the Beast Games series and his published YouTube videos.
The theme park will be open from November 13 to December 27, 2025 only. The Riyadh location was chosen because it is a collaboration between MrBeast and Riyadh Season to make Saudi Arabia a major tourist destination in the world.