Saudi Arabia has officially begun construction on the world’s largest cube-shaped building, set to become the biggest structure globally once completed.
Located in Riyadh, the infrastructure named The Mukaab will reach up to 400 meters high and take up 2 million square meters of floor space. That is equivalent to 20 times New York’s iconic Empire State Building.
According to its website, The Mukaab will include immersive shopping, dining, and cultural offerings. It will be a lively hub of connectivity and innovation and will be accessible via major roads.
The Mukaab project will cost about USD 50 billion and will serve as the centerpiece for New Murabba, a new urban district that will feature 25 million square feet and accommodate 104,000 homes.
Cube-shaped monuments are less common due to their distinctive land use requirements. Saudi Arabia, however, is known for its ambitious projects, such as the Jeddah Tower, which was intended to be the world’s tallest skyscraper but has been on hold since 2018.