As well as being the country’s capital, Riyadh is also the largest city in Saudi Arabia. Spanning an area of over 1,500km2 (937 miles) it also acts as the country’s main financial hub and one of its cultural centres.

All year-round major sporting events are held in or near the city including epic boxing matches such as the heavyweight title fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk and the second round of this year’s Formula 1 World Championship.

Away from the sport, Riyadh is an impressive city from an architectural standpoint with massive skyscrapers rising out of the desert sands and into the sky.

The cost of developing and modernising the city has come at an immense cost to the government, once which has spent millions growing the city.

According to Arabian Business, Riyadh has been Saudi Arabia’s most expensive city to build costing around $2,593 (£2038.98) per metre squared according to the International Construction Market Survey report published earlier this year.

Among the many mega-projects being constructed by developers in the city is the New Murabba, a district of Riyadh being built around a giant cube.

According to the New Murabba Development Company, around four million cubic metres of material has been moved for the project which is part of the Saudi kingdom’s “Vision 2030” strategy.

New Murabba, unveiled in February 2023, has been hailed as the new capital of Riyadh and estimates suggest it will cost £40bn to construct.

According to New Murabba CEO Michael Dyke, the scheme will offer numerous investment opportunities for investors around the world.

Speaking to Hotelier, Mr Dyke claimed New Murabba would redefine “the entire concept of a modern downtown”. He added: “Our vision is to create a place where vibrant communities live, work, and thrive, where everything is within easy reach.

“New Murabba has become so much more than a typical urban development by focusing on quality of life and a better future whilst acting as a gateway to another world.

“New Murabba will give the city a new core downtown that will set new standards for quality of life and urban development in the region and beyond.”

New Murabba will help provide space for Riyadh’s growing number of residents to live with the city’s population set to grow to 10 million by 2030.