Saudi Arabia has suspended construction of the Mukaab, a massive cube-shaped skyscraper planned as the centerpiece of Riyadh’s New Murabba development, as the kingdom reassesses the project’s financing and feasibility, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter, Reuters reports.
The decision marks another high-profile scaling back of Vision 2030 megaprojects as the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia’s $925 billion sovereign wealth fund, shifts priorities to manage rising costs and mounting fiscal pressure caused by lower oil prices. Work on the Mukaab has been halted beyond early-stage soil excavation and pilings, although development of surrounding real estate within New Murabba is expected to continue.
The Mukaab was envisioned as a 400-metre by 400-metre metal cube containing a vast interior dome with an AI-powered immersive display, large enough to accommodate around 20 Empire State Buildings. Inside, visitors would stand on a more than 300-metre-tall terraced structure, effectively entering what project leaders described as an entirely new artificial world. The structure alone was projected to offer roughly two million square metres of interior floor space, making it the largest single-built structure on Earth.
Sources indicate the suspension reflects a broader pivot away from some of the most futuristic and capital-intensive Vision 2030 projects, including NEOM’s The Line. Saudi planners are now prioritizing developments tied to nearer-term economic returns and global events, such as infrastructure for World Expo 2030, the 2034 World Cup, the Diriyah cultural district, and the Qiddiya tourism project. The government has also postponed the 2029 Asian Winter Games planned for NEOM’s Trojena site.
Real estate consultancy Knight Frank has estimated the full New Murabba development could cost around $50 billion, with completion now pushed from 2030 to around 2040. While officials have not formally canceled the Mukaab, its future remains uncertain as the kingdom conducts a comprehensive review of Vision 2030 initiatives.
The project had also drawn controversy online for its visual resemblance to the Kaaba in Mecca, Islam’s holiest site, adding cultural sensitivity to its already complex technical and financial challenges.
