A state-of-the-art “pyramid”, located not in Egypt, but in Saudi Arabia… The reason for the “pharaonic”, 1,300-foot-tall, (about 400 meters) cube-shaped skyscraper Mukaab, the construction of which has begun and is about to become the tallest building in the world.

The developer of the “mega building”, Saudi company New Murabba Development, announced that foundation work is 86% complete and should be completed by 2030, with around 900 workers

The grand, sci-fi building will be the centerpiece of a massive seven-square-mile New Murabba complex in northwest Riyadh.

Once completed, the cube will host a massive atrium with a spiral tower at its “heart,” and will have nearly 22 million square feet of space for retail, cultural and tourist attractions.

Surrounded by the cubic structure, the inner spiral tower can project realistic digital images around the building. The promotional videos show a “virtual” reality with huge holograms.

The complex will also have over 100,000 homes, 980,000 square meters of shops, 1.4 million square meters of offices along with hotels, cultural venues, a university, a high-tech theater and an “iconic” museum.

The major project is being developed as part of the ambitious Saudi Vision 2030 project, which aims to reduce dependence on oil and diversify the economy.

The dark background

One of the cornerstones of the crown prince’s ambitious project is The Line, a utopian car-free metropolis planned to stretch over 100 miles across the desert, reminiscent of the setting of Metropolis or Francis Ford Coppola’s more recent Megalopolis.

But a new investigation has revealed that thousands of workers toiling to satisfy the ambitions of the Kingdom’s controversial ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, are dying every year to complete the colossal project. New evidence from the ITV documentary Kingdom Uncovered: Inside Saudi Arabia reveals that 21,000 migrant workers from India, Bangladesh and Nepal have died since the implementation of Vision 2030 began.

The Kingdom relies primarily on a migrant workforce that heads to the region in search of a better life, but is often forced to work under harsh working conditions for very little pay. Many of them report that their passports were confiscated upon arrival, meaning they cannot leave Saudi Arabia.

The megaproject is being developed as part of Saudi Arabia's Saudi Vision 2030 project

The wider New Murabba development will also have over 100,000 homes, 980,000 square meters of shops, 1.4 million square meters of office space along with hotels, cultural venues, a university, an immersive theater and an 'iconic' museum

86% of the groundwork has been completed for the massive skyscraper