Saudi Arabia’s New Murabba Development Company (NMDC) has asked companies to prequalify for a contract that requires them to form consortiums to execute the main works for the Mukaab at the New Murabba downtown development in Riyadh.

The notice was issued on 5 May with an initial submission deadline of 12 June.

The Mukaab is a Najdi-inspired landmark that will be one of the largest buildings in the world. It will be 400 metres high, 400 metres wide and 400 metres long.

Internally, it will have a tower on top of a spiral base and a structure featuring 2 million square metres (sq m) of floor space designated for hospitality. It will feature commercial spaces, cultural and tourist attractions, and residential and hotel units, as well as recreational facilities.

Earlier this month, MEED exclusively reported that NMDC was prequalifying firms for three new contracts covering the construction works on the Mukaab at the New Murabba downtown development in Riyadh.

MEED understands that the three packages comprise the Central Core Tower, Outriggers and Vertical Ribs, and could cost up to SR10bn ($2.6bn).

Downtown destination

The New Murabba destination will have a total floor area of more than 25 million sq m and feature more than 104,000 residential units, 9,000 hotel rooms and over 980,000 sq m of retail space.

The scheme will include 1.4 million sq m of office space, 620,000 sq m of leisure facilities and 1.8 million sq m of space dedicated to community facilities.

The project will be developed around the concept of sustainability and will include green spaces and walking and cycling paths to promote healthy, active lifestyles and community activities.

Living, working and entertainment facilities will be created within a 15-minute walking radius. The area will use an internal transport system and be about a 20-minute drive from the airport.

The downtown area will feature a museum, a technology and design university, an immersive, multipurpose theatre, and more than 80 entertainment and cultural venues.