Saudi Arabia is captivating the world with its futuristic city construction projects, featuring a total investment of up to $500 billion.
According to a report by the Middle East Economic Digest (MEED), Saudi Arabia plans to build a 2-kilometer-tall skyscraper in Riyadh, which will become the tallest building in the world.
The “super tall” tower will be part of a development project spanning 18 square kilometers in northern Riyadh, currently under consideration by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF). A site near King Khalid International Airport has been identified, and EY has conducted a feasibility study.
World Record Tower Planned in Saudi Arabia
The current tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, stands at 828 meters. According to local contractors, constructing any tower of 2 kilometers would cost around $5 billion.
The construction of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai significantly increased the value of the surrounding land.
Emaar, the construction company behind the Burj Khalifa, adopted this strategy when it began construction on another tower in Dubai Creek Harbor in April 2016 to boost sales in the surrounding real estate. That tower, planned to be at least 928 meters tall, has not progressed beyond the foundation stage.
Meanwhile, developers, architects, construction experts, and project managers have been invited to participate in the design competition for the 2-kilometer tower, with an entry fee of $1 million – according to sources.
Eight firms, including renowned design names such as Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and Adrian Smith & Gordon Gill Architecture, are reportedly participating in the initial phase of the project.
Building a super tall tower, as Dubai did with the Burj Khalifa, could act as a catalyst for further development and serve as a flagship to attract other investment projects.
Saudi Arabia plans to build a 2-kilometer-tall skyscraper. (Illustrative image).
Saudi Arabia is experiencing a construction boom, with many mega-projects underway. The King Salman International Airport will soon join the ranks of the world’s largest airports. Currently, the largest airport in the region is King Fahd International, also located in this kingdom.
The airport is projected to cover an area of approximately 57 square kilometers, featuring 6 parallel runways and existing terminals named after King Khalid.
Elsewhere in the kingdom, Saudi Arabia is also developing the NEOM mega-city, with an “unimaginable” investment of $500 billion, creating a luxurious ski resort and using AI to build a future city named The Line that stretches 170 kilometers without cars. Other structures, such as two 500-meter hotel towers in Aqaba Bay, are also planned. All of these are part of the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative.
Previously, Saudi Arabia had considered building other high-rise structures. The PIF is examining plans for a tower of up to 1.2 kilometers at the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) on a site called KAFD X. Consultants have been preparing designs for this project since 2019.
Saudi Arabia is undergoing a construction boom with many “huge” mega-projects.
Another planned tower in Saudi Arabia is the Jeddah Tower, which is expected to reach 1,008 meters. Construction on this tower began about 10 years ago but was halted after reaching approximately 70 floors.
Efforts to revive the project have not proceeded due to companies being hesitant to incur any debt from contractors and consultants who had previously worked on the plan.
According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), a super tall building is defined as one that exceeds 300 meters, while a building over 600 meters is considered a “super skyscraper.” CTBUH reports that there are currently 173 super tall buildings and only 3 super skyscrapers completed worldwide.
According to the Emporis database on tall buildings, only two super skyscrapers have been completed in the Middle East: the Burj Khalifa and the 601-meter-tall Abraj Al Bait Clock Tower in Mecca.
The PIF has not yet commented on the plans for the 2-kilometer tower.
