Muqaab: Why Saudi Arabia’s Cubic Skyscraper Requires 1 Million Tons of Steel

The largest order in history: billion for 1 million tons of metal.

Saudi Arabia, renowned for its megaprojects under Saudi Vision 2030, is preparing to place the largest order for structural steel in the history of the global construction industry. This record-breaking contract, worth one billion US dollars, is for the construction of The Mukaab skyscraper, the centerpiece of the New Murabba district in the capital, Riyadh. The volume of steel required for this monumental cube is approximately one million tons, underscoring the unprecedented scale of this project.

The New Murabba Development Company (NMDC) will soon select the winner of this landmark tender. The order covers not only a large quantity of material but also steel for the complex supporting structures that will support the world’s largest building by volume. With such a mass, the Muqaab has every chance of becoming one of the heaviest structures ever built.

Challenging dimensions: Cube 400x400x400 meters

The Muqaab skyscraper will be a perfectly symmetrical cube with a side length of 400 meters (height, width, and length). These colossal dimensions make it one of the largest physical objects on the planet. Imagine fitting 20 of New York’s iconic Empire State Buildings inside it! The total interior space will be 2 million square meters.

• Architectural Icon: The Mukaaba’s design is inspired by the traditional Najdi architectural style, but is finished in a futuristic golden triangular panel cladding.

• Immersion Center: The cube will house a spiral tower surrounded by technological screens, creating a fully immersive digital environment. This will transform the interior into a constantly changing reality-from underwater worlds to other planets.

Mukaab is not just a building, but an entire vertical city designed to create a new, dynamic center for Riyadh. It includes premium hotels, luxury residential units, shopping malls, restaurants, and unique cultural attractions.

Construction progress and role in New Murabba

The New Murabba project is the creation of the world’s largest modern business district, covering 19 square kilometers. It includes the construction of over 100,000 residential units, millions of square meters of office and commercial space, and facilities for the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

Construction of the Muqaaba has already reached a critical stage. Raft work is nearly complete, with over 15 million cubic meters of soil removed. The announcement of a tender for 1 million tons of steel signals the transition to the construction phase of the main steel frame-the most complex and costly part of the construction. The Muqaaba project is expected to be completed by 2030, coinciding with the final deadlines of Saudi Vision 2030. Successful implementation of this ambitious plan will strengthen Saudi Arabia’s position as a global leader in innovative architecture and urban development.