If “The Line”, its futuristic city project, seems to be in trouble (and is controversial over the working conditions of workers on the site), Saudi Arabia is not drawing a line under the plans for extravagant town planning. A few days ago, a local company announced that it had extracted more than 10 million cubic meters from the ground for the construction of Mukaab. This 400 meter cube skyscraper is to become the totem building of a new futuristic district of Riyadh, the kingdom's capital. Its design made of golden walls with dark inserts is reminiscent of the famous Kaaba in Mecca.
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With a habitable volume of 2 million square meters, it must contain housing, shops, offices, a theater, a museum, but also futuristic attractions, in line with the projects carried out for several years by Saudi Arabia . Thus, a twisted tower will be built in the center of the building. Nothing new so far? Make no mistake, a 360 degree screen will encompass the latter and allow the projection of holograms which will give visitors the impression of being underwater or in a fantastic world. The authorities want to make it the first interactive immersion tourist destination in the world.
The center of a district designed for the post-oil era
Currently, around a thousand workers are working on the construction site, which is scheduled to be completed in 2030. Mukaab is part of a larger project called New Murabba which aims to double the size of the Saudi capital to 800 billion dollars. Covering an area of 19 square kilometers, this urban project plans to create 334,000 jobs and generate $50 billion in GDP each year to diversify the national economy away from hydrocarbons. Nearly 104,000 homes are to be built, as well as a transportation network that will include autonomous vehicles.
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