The story: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (MbS) has announced the launch of the development of a new downtown district in Riyadh. The Mukaab at the center of the project—a large cube structure—has triggered controversy on social media. The building’s resemblance to the Kaaba in Mecca, Islam’s holiest site, has sparked reactions to what MbS may be hoping to achieve.

The coverage: The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Feb. 16 that MbS had unveiled the New Murabba district with the Mukaab as its centerpiece. The multi-purpose structure will measure 400 meters (1,312 feet) in height, length, and width. 

• The project will be led by the New Murabba Development Company (NMDC) under the Vision 2030 development agenda. It will reportedly “contribute 180B SAR (47.9B USD) to the non-oil gross domestic product and create 334,000 direct and indirect job opportunities.” The projected completion date is 2030. 
  
  
• New Murabba will offer “104,000 housing units, 9,000 hospitality units, commercial spaces extending over 980,000 square meters [10.55M square feet]“ with...