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US firm wins Mukaab project management

4 September 2023

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Saudi Arabia's New Murabba Development Company (NMDC), a Public Investment Fund-backed entity, has signed an agreement with Turner Arabia to provide project management consultancy services for its Mukaab project at the New Murabba development.

Turner Arabia is a local subsidiary of US-based consultant Turner. Sabah Barakat, CEO of NMDC, and Husein Odeh, general manager of Turner Arabia, signed the agreement.

The Mukaab is a Najdi-inspired landmark at the centre of the New Murabba development. It is designed to be a cubic-shaped structure that will be 400 metres high, 400 metres wide and 400 metres long.

The Mukaab will encompass a tower on top of a spiral base and a structure featuring 2 million square metres of floor space for hospitality. It will feature commercial spaces, cultural and tourist attractions, residential and hotel units, and recreational facilities.

In August, NMDC appointed US-based Bechtel for the project management of the New Murabba development. The contract is another significant addition to Bechtel's construction sector projects portfolio in Saudi Arabia. At Neom, Bechtel is providing project management consultancy services for The Line's Spine and the Trojena mountain resort.

In July, MEED reported that contractors had won New Murabba early works deals. NMDC awarded two contracts for early works packages at the project site.

The contract awards include a site clearance package awarded to local contractor Al-Ostool al-Aali, and a fencing, hoarding and finishing works package awarded to the local Saudi Real Estate Infrastructure Company (Binyah).

NMDC has also tendered the ground excavation and temporary site office packages.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud launched NMDC in February to develop the New Murabba project.

UK-based architectural consultancy Atkins and Buro Happold are the masterplan consultants for the project.

Downtown development

The New Murabba development will total more than 25 million sq m of floor area 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 new project will be developed around the concept of sustainability and include green areas and walking and cycling paths to promote healthy, active lifestyles and community activities.

The living, working and entertainment facilities will be created around 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.

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Yasir Iqbal

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