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US-based engineering firm Parsons Corporation has been awarded a 60-month contract by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF)-backed New Murabba Development Company (NMDC) to provide design and construction technical support.

Parsons will serve as the lead design consultant for infrastructure, delivering design and engineering services covering infrastructure, public buildings, landscaping and the public realm across the New Murabba development. 

Parsons will support the creation of the project’s downtown experience, spanning 14 million square metres (sq m) of residential, workplace and entertainment space.

The latest agreement with Parsons follows NMDC’s signing, in October last year, of agreements with three other US-based engineering firms to undertake design work on various assets at the New Murabba downtown project in Riyadh.

NMDC signed an agreement with New York-headquartered firm Kohn Pedersen Fox to lead early design work for the first residential community within the New Murabba development.

The other agreements were signed with Aecom and Jacobs, both of which were appointed lead design consultants for the Mukaab district.

In August last year, NMDC signed a memorandum of understanding with another US-based firm, Falcons Creative Group, to develop the creative vision and immersive experiences for the Mukaab project within the New Murabba development.

The Mukaab is a Najdi-inspired landmark set to become one of the largest buildings in the world, measuring 400 metres high, 400 metres wide and 400 metres long.

Internally, it will feature a tower atop a spiral base, with 2 million sq m of floor space dedicated to hospitality. The structure will include commercial areas, cultural and tourist attractions, residential and hotel units and recreational facilities.