New Murabba is Saudi Arabia's most ambitious central urban development — a 19 square kilometre district in the heart of Riyadh anchored by The Mukaab, one of the largest buildings ever conceived. Operated by New Murabba Development Company (a Public Investment Fund company), the project will deliver 334,000 jobs by 2030 according to PIF projections and reshape Riyadh's commercial centre. Construction workforce demand is unprecedented in scale for a single urban project, ramping up across the decade. Manpower Agency Saudia connects New Murabba contractors and operators with partners specialising in large-scale urban construction and mixed-use operations.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Operator | New Murabba Development Company (Public Investment Fund) |
| Location | Central Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (north-west of King Fahd Road) |
| Total area | ~19 km² |
| Anchor structure | The Mukaab — 400m × 400m × 400m |
| Target jobs by 2030 | 334,000 |
| Target completion of major phases | 2030 and beyond |
| Residential capacity | ~100,000 residential units |
| Commercial space | Multiple millions of square metres |
| Cultural and entertainment | Museum, university, theatre, immersive technology spaces |
The Mukaab is the centerpiece of New Murabba — a cubic structure measuring 400 metres on each side, designed to enclose an immersive interior space at unprecedented scale. The Mukaab will integrate retail, hospitality, residential, cultural, entertainment, and immersive technology under a single inhabited structure. Construction is an engineering and workforce challenge unlike any previous Riyadh project.
Workforce implications:
| Category | New Murabba context |
|---|---|
| Construction trades (bulk) | Masons, steel fixers, carpenters, MEP trades for ongoing build-out |
| Specialist trades | Glazing installers, façade specialists, vertical construction specialists |
| Welders | Structural and architectural welding for The Mukaab and major buildings |
| Engineering workforce | Civil, structural, MEP, project engineers at senior levels |
| HSE workforce | Safety officers, permit officers, working-at-height specialists |
| Camp operations | Worker camp catering, cleaning, FM (typically using nearby Riyadh accommodation rather than on-site camps) |
| Commercial operations workforce | Retail, hospitality, F&B as facilities open |
| Hospitality workforce | Hotel operations, housekeeping, F&B for hospitality components |
| Cultural programming workforce | Museum, theatre, exhibition, immersive technology operations |
| Security guards (MOI-licensed) | Construction security, building security, public area security as facilities open |
| Cleaners and FM workforce | Public area cleaning, retail cleaning, hospitality cleaning for operational phases |
WhatsApp us with scope (construction phase or operations), and headcount. Riyadh's deep partner network advantage.
Request New Murabba WorkforceUnlike NEOM or Red Sea Project's remote locations, New Murabba sits in the heart of Riyadh. This dramatically simplifies workforce logistics:
The Mukaab and New Murabba's scale require specialised construction workforce categories:
As New Murabba transitions from construction to operations, the workforce profile shifts dramatically:
Currently — construction trades at scale for ongoing build-out. Specialist categories include welders, steel fixers, vertical construction specialists, glazing installers, and IRATA rope access teams for The Mukaab and major buildings. Bulk masons, carpenters, MEP trades, and general labour for surrounding development. HSE workforce throughout.
New Murabba is in the heart of Riyadh — workforce logistics are dramatically simpler than NEOM's remote Tabuk Province location. Riyadh's deep partner network handles most workforce supply needs from established capacity. Pricing tends to align with Riyadh standards rather than requiring NEOM-style remote-location premiums. Scale is large but smaller than NEOM in absolute terms.
Most workers will commute from existing Riyadh worker accommodation rather than living in site-based camps. This is a significant operational advantage over remote-location projects. Daily worker transport between accommodation and the construction site is standard. Some specialised workforce categories may be housed in dedicated arrangements for specific phases.
The Mukaab requires specialist workforce — welders for structural and architectural welding, steel fixers for unprecedented-scale reinforcement, vertical construction specialists, glazing and façade specialists, and IRATA rope access teams. Senior engineering oversight throughout. Our partners with mega-tower construction experience handle these specialised mobilisations.
The 334,000 figure represents total direct and indirect employment projected at operational maturity by 2030 — a PIF projection encompassing construction during build-out plus operational workforce across retail, hospitality, residential, cultural, and entertainment components. Actual workforce ramp tracks project execution and phased openings.
Operational workforce demand will grow as components open — hospitality for hotels, retail workforce, F&B service, cultural programming workforce, residential services, and public area operations. Each component opens on its own timeline with workforce mobilisation 6-12 months ahead of operational launches.
New Murabba is one of Vision 2030's flagship Riyadh developments alongside Diriyah Gate, Qiddiya, and others. It contributes to Vision 2030 objectives including economic diversification, urban modernisation, increased entertainment and cultural infrastructure, and overall job creation. PIF coordination across Riyadh mega-projects ensures complementary positioning.
Our partner network mobilises skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled workers across the Kingdom — fully Ajeer-compliant, ready to deploy.
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