Saudi Arabia paused planned construction of the Mukaab, the cube-shaped skyscraper envisioned as the centrepiece of a major downtown development in Riyadh, as authorities reassess the project’s financing and overall feasibility.
The move signals a broader pivot away from heavy spending on highly experimental developments towards initiatives viewed as more immediate and commercially viable.
The reassessment comes after mounting fiscal pressures, with oil prices remaining below the levels required to comfortably fund the kingdom’s ambitious Vision 2030 transformation agenda.
The Mukaab was designed as a 400-metre-by-400-metre metallic cube housing a vast central dome featuring an AI-powered immersive display, billed as the largest of its kind globally. Visitors were expected to experience the display from within a more than 300-metre-tall ziggurat-style structure built inside the cube.
Speaking at a conference in Riyadh in December, New Murabba CEO Michael Dyke acknowledged the technical challenges associated with the project. “Trying to solve for something that doesn’t exist today is quite challenging,” he said.
According to sources familiar with the matter, work beyond soil excavation and piling has been suspended, leaving the future of the landmark structure uncertain. However, development of the surrounding real estate within the New Murabba district is expected to continue.
By Pranati Yekula
