colossal cube

Saudi Arabia puts brakes on Riyadh’s Mukaab megaproject

The PIF-financed venture was billed as large enough to fit 20 Empire State Buildings, a centerpiece to the kingdom's redevelopment of its capital city

New Murabba Development Co.

Artist illustration of the Mukaab and surrounding New Murabba development

By

Jonathan H. Ferziger

January 27, 2026

Saudi Arabia has halted work on the enormous Mukaab development in downtown Riyadh, as the Public Investment Fund reassesses the financial viability of some of its most ambitious projects.

The structure, a 400-meter (1,300-foot) tall cube designed to serve as...