Saudi Arabia’s New Murabba Development Company (NMDC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with South Korea’s Heerim Architects & Planners to explore further design works on assets at the 14 square-kilometre New Murabba downtown project.

According to an official statement: “Heerim Architects & Planners will explore distinctive architectural plans that complement the development’s masterplan, with special focus on anchor assets, linear parks and smart city features.”

New Murabba CEO Michael Dyke signed the agreement last week during the company’s Investment and Partnership Forum in Seoul.

At the event, NMDC also signed an MoU with South Korea’s Naver Cloud Corporation to explore technological solutions for delivering the New Murabba downtown project.

According to an official statement: “The three-year agreement covers exploring innovative technology and automation to support the delivery of New Murabba, including robotics, autonomous vehicles, a smart city platform and digital solutions for monitoring construction progress.”

NMDC is in Seoul to examine technological offerings, assess financing options and showcase the investment opportunities available for the New Murabba downtown development.

The statement added that the excavation works for The Mukaab, the centrepiece of the overall development, have now been completed.

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, residential and hotel units, and recreational facilities.

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 active lifestyles and community activities.

The living, working and entertainment facilities will be developed within a 15-minute walking radius. The area will use an internal transport system and will 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.