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Bettesworth Construction
Mukaab

Mukaab: What Is Riyadh’s Proposed Cube—and Is It Really Big Enough for 20 Empire State Buildings?

Riyadh’s proposed Mukaab was announced as a 400-metre cube, but its “20 Empire State Buildings” scale comparison is theoretical. Reuters reported construction suspension during a financing and feasibility reassessment in January 2026.

By Bettesworth Construction Team 2 min read
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The Mukaab is a proposed 400-metre cube-shaped landmark at the centre of New Murabba, a planned development in Riyadh. Its reported interior area is around 2 million square metres, and the “20 Empire State Buildings” line is a theoretical comparison attributed to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF)—not a claim about completed floor area or capacity. Reuters reported in January 2026 that construction beyond excavation and pilings had been suspended while financing and feasibility were reassessed.

What is the Mukaab?

The Mukaab is the proposed signature building of New Murabba, a planned downtown district in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is envisioned as a giant cube, rather than a conventional tall, slender skyscraper. The official New Murabba project site continues to present the wider district as a development with announcements and opportunities; that activity does not establish that construction of the Mukaab itself is proceeding.

How large was the announced design?

New Atlas reported in 2023 that the proposed Mukaab would measure 400 metres (1,312 feet) in height, width and length. Those are announced design dimensions, not measurements of a completed structure. The same report put its proposed interior floor area at around 2 million square metres (about 0.77 square miles).

What does “big enough to hold 20 Empire State Buildings” mean?

New Atlas attributed the “theoretically large enough to hold 20 Empire State Buildings” comparison to PIF. It is a promotional way to convey the concept’s extraordinary scale, not a measured result showing that 20 completed Empire State Buildings could literally fit inside a finished Mukaab. The cited coverage does not define a like-for-like comparison of usable floor area, volume, or occupancy, so the phrase should be understood as a theoretical comparison rather than a construction specification.

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What was the proposed interior and exterior design?

The 2023 concept described a vast interior containing a twisting tower. The exterior was presented as inspired by traditional Islamic architecture, with a rooftop garden among the proposed features. These are design concepts reported for the proposal, not verified features of a built structure. New Atlas’s 2023 coverage of the Mukaab proposal describes the announced dimensions and design.

What is the Mukaab’s construction status?

Reuters reported on January 27, 2026, citing people familiar with the matter, that planned construction had been suspended beyond soil excavation and pilings while the project’s financing and feasibility were reassessed. The report does not establish the final outcome of that reassessment. On the available evidence, the Mukaab should be described as a proposed project whose construction was reported suspended at that stage—not as cancelled, completed, or restarted. The status report was republished by BusinessDay.

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Does activity around New Murabba mean the Mukaab is moving ahead?

No such conclusion follows from announcements about the wider district. New Murabba’s official site lists development announcements in 2026, but Reuters’ January 2026 report specifically concerned the Mukaab’s construction and reassessment. The available official pages do not resolve what will happen to the building after that reassessment. Treat the district’s public-facing activity and the Mukaab’s construction status as separate matters; the New Murabba site is not confirmation that work on the Mukaab has resumed.

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