Executive Summary: The World's Most Complex Building Project
The Mukaab — a 400-meter cube at the center of the Public Investment Fund-backed New Murabba district — represents the most ambitious single-structure engineering challenge in construction history. Measuring 400m × 400m × 400m with 2.6 million square meters of internal enclosed space, it would contain 20 Empire State Buildings. On January 27, 2026, Reuters reported that superstructure construction was suspended beyond soil excavation and pilings, as the Public Investment Fund revised its 2026–2030 investment strategy. This report provides institutional-grade intelligence on foundation progress, timeline shifts, engineering consortium dynamics, and the broader $819 billion Saudi construction pipeline tracked by Vision 2030 AI.
Foundation Status: 83% Piling Complete
Despite the superstructure pause, substantial foundation work has been executed. As of late 2025, over 1,000 of 1,200 planned piles have been driven — approximately 83% completion. An estimated 14 million cubic meters of soil have been excavated, making it one of the largest single-plot excavation projects in the Middle East. CEO Michael Dyke stated in December 2025 that the foundation engineering represents "the most complex ground preparation ever undertaken for a single structure."
A $1 billion raft foundation contract was in procurement before the January 2026 pause. The raft — a massive concrete platform distributing the cube's weight across piled foundations — is critical path for superstructure commencement. The New Murabba Development Company issued a Request for Information (RFI) on January 26, 2026 — one day before the suspension — seeking modular fit-out solutions for the four corner towers, each approximately 375 meters (80+ stories). Planning continues even as physical construction is paused.
Engineering Consortium: Who Is Building The Mukaab
Parsons Corporation was awarded a 60-month Integrated Lifecycle Delivery Consultant (ILDC) contract on January 13, 2026, providing design management, construction oversight, and systems integration. Parsons brings deep Saudi credentials from NEOM, Diriyah Gate, ROSHN, and the Riyadh Metro (176km, 85 stations, fully operational since January 2025 with 162 million passengers in year one).
On November 5, 2025, Jacobs Engineering and AECOM were jointly appointed as Lead Design Consultants through a formal Joint Venture. Their combined portfolio includes the Crossrail Elizabeth Line and Hong Kong International Airport Terminal 2. Arup provides structural and environmental advisory. Additional firms include KPF for residential tower design, Bechtel for project controls benchmarking, and specialized MEP consultancies.
PIF Strategy Revision: Phased Delivery Model
On February 9–10, 2026, the PIF soft-launched its revised 2026–2030 investment strategy, shifting from simultaneous mega-project delivery to phased, commercially defensible milestones. Knight Frank estimates total New Murabba investment at $50 billion, but noted only $3.6 billion had been formally commissioned as of late 2023.
The revised timeline: Phase 1 by end-2030 (aligned with Expo 2030 Riyadh), Phase 2A by 2034 (FIFA World Cup), Phase 2B by 2035, Phase 3 by 2040. The Mukaab superstructure is now assessed at 2035–2040 completion. The surrounding New Murabba district — 90,000 residential units, 10,100 hotel rooms, 1.4M sqm retail, 45,000-seat stadium — continues development independently of The Mukaab.
Jeddah Tower: 1,000-Meter Milestone
Saudi Arabia's other engineering superlative — Jeddah Tower — has undergone a dramatic reversal. After a six-year construction halt (2018–2024), work restarted January 2025 under Turner Construction. By late 2025, the tower reached 80+ floors with approximately 50% of total concrete poured. The 100th floor is expected February–March 2026, with full completion targeted for 2028. At over 1,000 meters, it will surpass the Burj Khalifa (828m) as the world's tallest structure. The project's revival demonstrates the Kingdom's capacity to resurrect stalled megaprojects — a signal closely monitored by Bloomberg and Financial Times.
Saudi Construction Pipeline: $819 Billion
According to Knight Frank and MEED Projects, Saudi Arabia's construction market encompasses $78.6–101.4 billion in annual activity across 5,200+ active projects valued at $819 billion. This dwarfs the UAE ($300B), Qatar ($150B), and Kuwait ($100B) combined.
However, KAMCO Invest reported a 72.5% year-on-year decline in Q2 2025 contract awards to $9.8 billion (from $35.6B). The nine-month 2025 total nearly halved. Counterbalancing this: giga-project contracts surged 20% in 2025 to $196 billion, reflecting a transition from planning to execution in priority projects. The key insight: selective acceleration — the PIF concentrates capital on commercially critical deliverables while deferring speculative megastructures.
Modular Construction and Robotics
China Harbour Engineering inaugurated a 200,000 sqm modular production facility in Riyadh (February 2025) for ROSHN's Sedra community (20M sqm, 30,000 homes). NEOM and Samsung C&T formed a SAR 1.3 billion ($345M) construction-robotics JV (December 2024) targeting 40% cost savings through autonomous bricklaying, 3D printing, and drone surveying.
Dar Al Arkan completed the world's largest on-site 3D-printed building in 26 days. The modular construction market is valued at $833M–$1.9B, growing 5–7% CAGR. The Mukaab's January 2026 RFI for modular fit-out signals intent to leverage off-site manufacturing extensively, potentially reducing interior construction timelines by 30–40%.
Structural Engineering: Building a 400m Cube
The Mukaab's engineering challenge differs fundamentally from a supertall tower. A tower concentrates loads vertically; The Mukaab must support 400-meter horizontal spans while bearing vertical loads across a three-dimensional matrix. Michael Dyke called it "the most complex structure ever built." Key challenges include wind loading on 160,000 sqm face area (22 football pitches), thermal expansion across 400m in 50°C+ desert climate, seismic design without historical precedent, and internal suspension systems for holographic projection environments and multi-story atriums.
The four corner towers (375m each) serve as primary structural supports, with the cube shell suspended between them. This requires innovations in steel-concrete composite construction, cable-stayed internal framing, and adaptive damping systems. Comparisons include the Boeing Everett Factory (The Mukaab ~5x larger by volume), Dubai Mall (2.4x smaller), The Pentagon (4.3x smaller), and Heathrow Terminal 5 (7.4x smaller).
Expo 2030 and FIFA 2034: The Deadlines
Expo 2030 Riyadh runs October 1, 2030–March 31, 2031 across 6M sqm with $7.8B capex and 42M projected visits. As of February 2026, 1.5M sqm (25%) has been levelled, building construction starts Q3 2026. Bechtel (PMC), Buro Happold (Lead Design), and Nesma (utilities) are delivering.
FIFA 2034 requires 15 stadiums (11 new-build) across 5 cities with $20B+ investment. The flagship King Salman International Stadium (92,760 capacity, Arup-designed, 2029 target) anchors the programme. These deadlines create non-negotiable delivery windows for Saudi infrastructure through the mid-2030s.
Sustainability and Green Building
Saudi Arabia has 1,816 registered LEED projects and 1,162 certified. King Abdullah Financial District holds the world's largest LEED ND Stage 2 Platinum certification. Net-zero target: 2060 with 58.7 GW clean energy capacity. The Mukaab targets LEED Platinum with district cooling (40% energy reduction), greywater recycling (30% potable water reduction), and 160,000 sqm solar roof integration.
Investment Risk Factors
Key risks include: oil price dependency (IMF Saudi Country Report forecasts 4% GDP fiscal deficits through 2027), Saudization raising labor costs 15–25%, material cost inflation 20–30% since 2022, Mukaab timeline uncertainty, unprecedented engineering complexity, and historical 30–50% cost overrun patterns on Saudi giga-projects. Currency risk is minimal: SAR pegged to USD at 3.75.
Conclusion
Saudi Arabia's $819 billion construction pipeline is the largest national building programme in modern history. The Mukaab — paused but not cancelled — remains the conceptual anchor of New Murabba, with the timeline extending to 2035–2040. Jeddah Tower's successful restart validates Saudi capacity to deliver. Near-term dynamics driven by Expo 2030 and FIFA 2034 deadlines. Track via Vision 2030 AI, New Murabba Development Company, and the Capital Market Authority (CMA).