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‘Bigger is Better’ has seemingly become the new Saudi Arabia motto after the desert nation recently broke ground on the colossal $50 billion Mukaab – the world’s largest building.

The ambitious project in the capital city of Riyadh is part of a continuing wave of futuristic construction projects across the Arab nation.

The Mukaab will clock in at 400 metres high and 650 metres wide once completed – giving it enough volume to contain 20 Empire State Buildings.

Offering fine dining, retail space, offices and restaurants, the massive cube will be its own downtown-in-a-box with 185,000 square metres of floor space. In addition to the amenities, the building will feature 104,000 residential units and 9,000 hotel rooms.

The designers claim that The Mukaab would be “human-first” and that green spaces will be accessible within 15 minutes of any point inside the cube.

The New Murabba Development Company also claims that it will use artificial intelligence to provide immersive experiences for Mukaab visitors. This incorporates massive screens that will cover the square’s perimeter, similar to the Las Vegas Sphere.

Though the project is meant to move Saudi Arabia toward a more modern future, the company said it is deriving design inspiration from the local ecology and regional architecture.

The buildings and area surrounding the metropolitan oasis are inspired by wadis — the Arabic term for a riverbed formation. Winding structured pathways partially lined with smaller buildings will recreate the likeness of desert streams flowing through craggy rocks leading up to the neck-craning edifice.

The square design itself is thought to be a reference to the regional Najdi architectural style. Mudbrick houses, triangular or rectangular window and door openings, and centralised outdoor courtyards distinguish Nadji architecture.

The Mukaab is predicted to boost non-oil GDP by more than $51 billion while also creating 334,000 employment. According to New Murabba Development Company, the project will employ approximately 900 workers and be completed by 2030.

The Mukaab is not the only giga-projects the PIC is working on, and if you want to see what a sh*tload of oil money can fund, check out some of their other projects here.

[source:nypost]