The Mukaab project in Riyadh was announced in 2023 as the world's largest cube-shaped building. With dimensions of 400x400x400 meters, it was immediately nicknamed the second Kaaba due to its similar cube design.
Although construction was to begin in 2024, the project has already been halted by the Saudi Arabian government to re-evaluate the mega project that cost $50 billion and may be replaced by a more profitable commercial project.
Construction was halted a day after the Neom mega project was also scaled down. Among those affected is the size of The Line which was originally 170 kilometers long but was limited to the first part of The Hidden Marina which will house the world's highest stadium for the 2034 World Cup. Meanwhile, the Trojena ski resort project and the Oxagon sustainable data center project have also been affected.
Inside the Mukaab, which means cube in Arabic, there is a tower that will serve as a place for residence, shopping, tourism, and business. The tower has a floor area of 2 million square meters. The interior is covered by a giant screen like The Sphere Vegas which can display various outdoor views because Mukaab has no windows. Therefore, the view of the residents inside the tower can be changed according to the season, time and situation.
Mukaab is part of the New Murabba project with an area of 19 square kilometers which will be home to hundreds of thousands of people. Although the construction of Mukaab has been stopped, New Murabba which will house a university, museum, office space, hospital and residential areas is still going on.
