‘New Kaaba’: Saudi Arabia Trends on Twitter, Google Over Plans to Build Giant new Building ‘Mukaab’ in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia Mukaab Project: The announcement regarding the “New Murabba Project and the Mukaab” has evoked a mixed response from Saudi Nationals. While some have reacted angrily to it, others have welcomed the announcement.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman recently announced his plans to build a gigantic new building a – cube - in the middle of a new city center being developed in the capital Riyadh. While announcing the ambitious project, the Crown Prince also said that he will chair the New Murabba Development Company, which aims to develop “the world’s largest modern downtown in Riyadh”.  The New Murabba project, as per an announcement by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, will feature a museum, a tech and design university, an immersive theatre and more than 80 entertainment venues.

At the center of the project will be "The Mukaab", which translates to a cube, a mammoth 400-meter-long, wide and deep structure made up of overlapping triangular forms, in an architectural style inspired by the Najd region of Saudi Arabia. The Mukaab will be “the world’s first immersive, experiential destination,” complete with “digital and virtual technology with the latest holographic”.

However, the announcement regarding the “New Murabba Project and the Mukaab” has evoked a mixed response from Saudi Nationals. While some have reacted angrily to it, others have welcomed the announcement.  The controversy stems from the perception that the giant building of the "Mukaab" (or Cube) shares a resemblance to the Kaaba, which is Islam's most sacred site in the Holy City of Makkah. Both terms also share a common root word in the Arabic language.

There is also a huge volume of searches on top platforms like Google and micro-blogging sites like Twitter where people have ridiculed “The Mukaab” over its likeness to the most important cube-like structure in Saudi Arabia - the Kaaba – considered very sacred among Muslims around the world. 

During the Haj and Umrah pilgrimages, millions of Muslims from around the world come to Saudi Arabia and pray towards the building in the center of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, and circumambulate the holy structure.

“Building a new Kaaba exclusively devoted to capitalism is a little too on the nose,” said Intercept reporter Murtaza Hussain. Asad Abu Khalil, an academic, tweeted, “It appears [the crown prince] is building his Kaaba. Will he enforce it as the new qibla for worshippers?” 

However, it is not the first geometrically challenging grandiose project Saudi Arabia has announced in recent years. The kingdom has earlier announced to plans to build a ski resort with a folded vertical village, a 170km straight-line city, and an eight-sided city that floats on water. 

There were also reports that several members of the Howeitat tribe in Saudi Arabia had been either arrested or detained for resisting eviction to make way for the megacity.

Here Are Some Twitter Reactions To The Mega Mukaab Project Of Saudi Arabia: -

I want to know how much Saudi has paid @McKinsey to come up with all of these social media cartoons for Western audiences of Star Wars cities that are never going to actually exist. https://t.co/wYUT0KP2Dx — Ali Ahmadi (@AliR_Ahmadi) February 17, 2023

Saudi the land of Fitnah and Dajjal.. now constructing another replication of Kaba calling it Mukaab.

— Mirza Baig (@Baig2K19) February 16, 2023

They are prostrating to Money, Wealth already but you will say are they keeping money towards Qibla..

They have given up Religion for Wealth, Night Clubs, Show off, To please world they have adopted everything which was forbidden..

What more proof one needs ? — Mirza Baig (@Baig2K19) February 17, 2023

"When Bin Salman stood on top of the holy Kaaba in Mecca in 2019, it was almost symbolic of his intention to subjugate the Islamic influences in #SaudiArabia. Today he has embarked on another symbolic challenge in announcing plans to build a new 'Kaaba' of entertainment" pic.twitter.com/lOCH7N3lH2 — Sami Hamdi سامي الهاشمي الحامدي (@SALHACHIMI) February 17, 2023

I never knew he walked on top of the Kaaba! SubahnAllah — The Thinking Muslimah (@thinkingmuslima) February 18, 2023

Cube shaped Structures are one of the most commonly preferred for aesthetic reasons. It may look like kaaba but it isn't.
Allah knows the best. — melon.rusk (@_xoxo098) February 20, 2023

New Kaaba of entertainment inaa lilaahi wa inaa ileyhi raajicuun, The end of the world is coming soon — Somalia Hanoolaato (@SaedDalmar) February 18, 2023

Why are foreign Muslims so easy to manipulate? If every cubic shaped building is “a new kaaba” then you will find millions of kabaas in Riyadh since we have alot of building in a cubic shaped(including my house lol) starting from the criminal court & the mosque in malia and more https://t.co/bVtgrJMfDi pic.twitter.com/cWdwfmuBNS — فرح (@far0h8) February 18, 2023

It’s very telling that a cubed building in Riyadh is sending shockwaves in journalistic spheres, is generating bickering amongst Saudiphobes on social media, and even causing preposterous accusations of a “new Kaaba”!

In any case, we have much more in store  — Saud Salman AlDossary | سعود بن سلمان الدوسري (@999saudsalman) February 18, 2023

Is MBS building a new Kaaba in #SaudiArabia ?

Refuting lies with knowledge and facts. pic.twitter.com/3s8QBsyNhN — Loay Alshareef لؤي الشريف (@lalshareef) February 19, 2023