The Jeddah Tower will be over 172 meters taller than the current tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in the UAE.
The Jeddah Tower under construction. (Photo: Design Boom).
The construction of the world’s tallest tower has officially resumed in Saudi Arabia, Design Boom reported on September 19. Standing approximately 172 meters taller than the Burj Khalifa in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Jeddah Tower will reach a height of 1,000 meters and cover an area of 1.5 km2 in its initial development phase. This project is described as the “highlight” of the Jeddah Economic City (JEC), an ambitious initiative aimed at revitalizing the urban center of Jeddah.
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill (AS + GG) Architecture from Chicago, USA, is responsible for the project, featuring a slender design inspired by the shape of a native flower that grows in the arid desert sands. The mixed-use tower will house a hotel, residential apartments, office spaces, luxury condominiums, and the world’s highest observation deck overlooking the Red Sea. The estimated total cost of the project is $1.2 billion.
According to Middle East Business Intelligence, a local company named Saudi Binladin Group (SBG) initially participated in the Jeddah Tower project as the main contractor, working closely with the German firm Bauer to complete the foundation and piling work in the early 2010s.
Recent news from MEE confirms that contractor SBG has withdrawn, while AS + GG remains the principal architectural firm on the project, alongside technical advisor Dar al-Handasah from Lebanon. The Jeddah Economic City (JEC) has organized a bidding process to complete the Jeddah Tower, with the deadline for submissions set for the end of this year. While the piling and foundation work has been completed (accounting for one-third of the construction progress), the latest images from the site reveal that workers have built up to the 50th floor of the 157 floors.
The stunning structure of the tower will gradually take shape, combining technology and natural aesthetics. The three-winged base optimizes residential space while the angled wings create an aerodynamic form that reduces wind load. The tower’s elevator system will be among the most complex in the world, with elevators moving at a speed of 10 meters per second. On the 157th floor, the rooftop will be open to the public and will house the world’s highest observation deck.
