Construction of ‘world’s tallest building’ in Saudi Arabia begins with colossal 1,300-foot cube featuring AI holographic technology and rotating tower
Construction of the 400-meter-high cube-shaped Mukaab skyscraper, which will become the tallest building in the world, has officially begun in Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi-funded developer, the New Murabba Development Company, said the earthworks are currently 86% complete and should be completed by 2030, with around 900 workers.
The monolithic building will form the centerpiece of the enormous New Murabba development of more than seven square kilometers in the northwest of Riyadh.
Once completed, the cube will house a vast atrium with a spiral tower at its heart, and provide nearly 22 million square feet of space for retail, cultural and tourist attractions.
Promotional videos show renderings of an immersive virtual reality, with dragons and enormous holographic humans moving through the development.
Surrounded by a cube structure, the inner spiral can display realistic images around the building.
Construction has officially begun on the 400-meter-high cube-shaped Mukaab skyscraper, which will become the tallest building in the world (File image)
Once completed, the cube will house a vast atrium with a spiral tower at its heart, and provide nearly 22 million square feet of space for retail, cultural and tourist attractions.
86% of the groundwork for the massive skyscraper has been completed
Renderings show spacecraft flying overhead, enormous mountain ranges and towering waterfalls, all projected onto the sleepy desert scene.
The wider New Murabba development will also include more than 100,000 homes, 980,000 square meters of retail, 1.4 million square meters of office space, along with hotels, cultural venues, a university, an immersive theater and an ‘iconic’ museum.
The mega project is being developed as part of Saudi Arabia’s Saudi Vision 2030 project, which aims to reduce oil dependence, diversify the economy and build public service sectors.
But new research has found that thousands of workers die every year struggling to satisfy the ambitions of the kingdom’s controversial ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
One of the cornerstones of the crown prince’s ambitious project is The Line, a barely believable car-free metropolis that will stretch more than 100 miles through the desert.
The Mukaab will be the largest building in the world when completed
The mega project is being developed as part of Saudi Arabia’s Saudi Vision 2030 project
The wider New Murabba development will also include more than 100,000 homes, 980,000 square meters of retail, 1.4 million square meters of office space, along with hotels, cultural venues, a university, an immersive theater and an ‘iconic’ museum.
Project leaders say The Line will “redefine livability” and “transform the way we live,” serving as a sustainable, inclusive example of cities for the future.
But figures out this week show that in just eight years since Vision 2030 was first announced, at least 21,000 migrant workers have died working on the crown prince’s scandalous projects.
This shocking statistic is supported by details of abuse and tyrannical treatment of helpless workers in the upcoming ITV documentary Kingdom Uncovered: Inside Saudi Arabia, airing on Sunday at 10.15pm.
The Kingdom is primarily dependent on migrant workers who move to the region in search of a better life, but are often forced into harsh working conditions for very little pay.
Many claim their passports are confiscated upon arrival, meaning they cannot leave.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
Construction workers stand at the edge of a huge ditch being dug for the megacity The Line
Thousands of workers die every year building these projects
Project chiefs say The Line will ‘redefine livability’ and ‘transform the way we live’, serving as a sustainable, inclusive example of cities for the future
One of the cornerstones of the crown prince’s ambitious project is The Line, a barely believable car-free metropolis that will stretch more than 100 miles through the desert (concept image)
Saudi law stipulates that employees may never work more than 60 hours per week.
But a worker who has been helping to build a high-speed train tunnel for two years told an ITV reporter he regularly works up to 16 hours a day.
Saudi law also stipulates that employees should normally be given one day off per week. But the employee claimed it was ‘normal’ to work a fortnight without a day off.
Other workers told the ITV journalist they are working up to 84 hours a week – far more than the legal maximum.
Anonymously, one employee said, “We are built to work extremely hard. There is little time to rest. We get tired. We suffer from fear day and night. Saudi Arabia doesn’t care much about citizens from other countries. We are treated like beggars.’