Saudi Arabia has announced plans to build a large cube-shaped structure as part of a re-development project in the capital, Riyadh, triggering angry reactions from Muslims on social media, saying it resembles the Kaaba.
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the launch of the New Murabba Development Company, last week. The new company will oversee the development of a new downtown area spread over 19 sq. km in the capital Riyadh
Authorities claim that plans have been created keeping sustainability and the environment in mind. The project would include green spaces and walking and cycling pathways, to improve the quality of life by encouraging active, healthy lives and social interaction.
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What is Mukaab?
The main feature of the project has been named the Mukaab, a gigantic cube structure that has been described as the future ‘face of the city’, and critics say it may even be the face of a new Saudi Arabia, focusing on and generating more revenue through tourism than petroleum. At present, the plan is to fill the cube with 100,000 residential units as well as 9,000 hotel rooms.
In addition, it will also have over 80 entertainment and cultural venues. A renowned museum, and a campus for a technology and design university. The 19 km space will accommodate thousands of people. The 25 million sq. mt. floor area is divided strategically into 104,000 residential units, 9,000 hotel rooms & 620,000 sq. mt. of leisure assets. An additional 980,000 sq. mts. will be covered by retail and 1.8 million sq. mt. will be dedicated to recreational facilities.
The building will be 20 times bigger than New York City’s Empire State Building and will be a one-stop location for shoppers and business owners, with more than 980,000 square meters of retail shops and 1.4 million square meters of office space.
The Mukaab’s core structure will be an atrium, allowing for tons of natural light and foliage to thrive inside. The government brief promises an immersive ‘gateway into another world’ that is completely powered by the latest digital, virtual, and holographic technologies.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia’s abundance of oil money has sparked the design of some absolutely insane architectural projects. In 2021, MbS announced his $500 billion futuristic Neom city in the northwest of the country, with promises of robot maids, flying taxis, and a giant artificial moon. And last year, he unveiled a giant linear city, The Line, which aims to stretch over 106 miles and house 9 million people. The one-trillion-dollar project will essentially be its own massive city in the middle of a desert once it’s finished.
Over the years Saudi Arabia, which has seen an economic boom and a desert country transformed into a modern developing country was essentially based on the petroleum industry.
In addition, it earns billions in revenue through the Umrah and Haj pilgrimages. In recent years, it has made travel to the kingdom friendlier for the pilgrims, and expansion plans in the two holy cities of Mecca and Madinah are underway to accommodate more number of tourists.
As a strategy, it also is promoting the Umrah pilgrimage more than the annual Haj, as the revenues through Umrah pilgrims flow throughout the year and the government is not forced to spend more on providing facilities and security to the Umrah pilgrims, whose stay is much shorter as compared to the Haj pilgrims.
So far, the government was focussing more on promoting tourism, but with the ascension of MbS, it seems to have changed tracks.
As his critics say he is pursuing a growth plan which seems more ‘unIslamic’ than his parleys with the Israelis.
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