Construction of a new Saudi Arabian tower aiming to exceed the iconic Burj Khalifa’s record height has picked up pace after years of delays, reflecting renewed progress on a project long plagued by setbacks.
Why It Matters
The world’s next tallest skyscraper in Jeddah on the Red Sea is another example of Saudi Arabia’s massive projects designed to help diversify its economy with several plans underway across the country, the most prominent being a luxury resort called Neom.
These projects in the kingdom and elsewhere in the region often encompass neo-futuristic cities, Trump towers and luxury developments designed to attract investment, tourism, and international attention.
Orange Business Services has signed a smart city consulting agreement with Jeddah Economic Company, the master developer of the world’s tallest tower, Jeddah Tower.
Orange Business Services has signed a smart city consulting agreement with Jeddah Economic Company, the master developer of the world’s tallest tower, Jeddah Tower.
Jeddah Economic Company/AP
What To Know
Designed by Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill, founders of the Chicago-based firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG), the Jeddah Tower is set to reach unprecedented heights and surpass Burj Khalifa in the United Arab Emirates—the current world’s tallest building, which was also designed by Smith.
Although the exact height and number of floors will be confirmed upon completion, the firm told Newsweek that the tower will have more than 130 floors and rise beyond 3,281 feet—The Burj Khalfia in Dubai stands at 2,722 feet.
It will include a hotel, offices, residences, and a sky terrace on its 157th floor—the world’s highest observation deck—and 59 elevators, including five double-deck lifts, plus 12 escalators.
Construction, which began in 2013, was halted in 2018 after the Binladin Group—the project’s main contractor—was removed following the arrest of its president, Bakr bin Laden, during a Saudi anti-corruption crackdown led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The project faced additional delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Experts noted that countries which previously dominated skyscraper construction, like China, have imposed strict height restrictions, limited new super-tall projects, creating an opportunity for the Middle East, where capital and fewer regulatory limits allow record-breaking towers, according to the Arabian Gulf Business Insight (AGBI) platform in 2024.
What People Are Saying
Architect Robert Forest, partner at Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG) told Newsweek in August: “The tower has been constructed to Core Level 69, which will be reached this week. The wings follow about five to 10 floors behind. Fifty percent of the concrete has been placed.”
Architect Gordon Gill, a partner at AS+GG, told Newsweek: “As it developed, the overall ethos of ‘new growth’ for KSA [Kingdom of Saudi Arabia] was defined by the symbolic palm fronds. Today, the building is very consistent with the palm-frond concept.”
What Happens Next
The Jeddah Tower is expected to be completed by August 2028.