British based firm Eric Kuhne and Associates have proposed the building and are currently in consultation with the Kuwaiti government. It is estimated that the project would be completed some time in 2016 at a cost of $7.37 billion (USD).

The skyscraper is planned to top out at 3,284 feet, or 1,001 meters, in order to reflect the Arabian fairy tale One Thousand and One Nights.

Skyscrapers do not normally exceed 80 floors due to the amount of space that would be taken up by elevators. However, the Mubarak al-Kabir Tower would consist of a far greater number of floors. This would necessitate double or triple decker elevators.

Another challenge would be posed by the immense height of the building, which makes it vulnerable to high winds. In order to cope with these winds, the tower is designed as three interlocking towers, each twisting 45 degrees to help stabilize it. In addition, vertical ailerons will run the full length of the building on each edge. Adjustments to the positions of these ailerons will redirect the winds in order to minimize structural vibrations.

The building will include seven vertically-stacked 30-story ‘neighborhoods”, including apartments, offices, and hotels. Linking the neighborhoods will be several four-story “town squares.”

Madinat al-Hareer (Arabic: مدينة الحرير, meaning “City of Silk”), is a proposed 250 square kilometer planned urban area in Subiya, Kuwait, an area just opposite Kuwait City which, upon construction, would include the Burj Mubarak al-Kabir , the world’s tallest structure, a natural desert reservation of 2 square kilometres, a duty free area which will be beside a new airport, in addition to a large business center, conference areas, environmental areas, athletic areas, and areas that concentrate on media, health, education, and industry. The City of Silk will also include numerous tourist attractions, hotels, spas, and public gardens. The city will be built in individual phases with total completion within twenty-five years. The development will cost an estimated 25 billion Kuwaiti Dinars (~94 billion USD). Burj Mubarak al-Kabir should not be confused with the Al Jaber Tower proposed by the famous Italian architect Amero Marchetti, part of the planned “ethic city”. If built the Al Jaber Tower would reach 1852 meters.

As of July 27, 2008, the government of Kuwait has already approved the project, with some of the project’s funding coming from the budget surplus over the course of 2007 and 2008. Construction on the actual site has also begun; this is seen through bridges, highways and roads being laid down as basic infrastructure to facilitate future construction of structures within the city. Various reports indicate that the city might be ready by 2023.