Saudi Arabia is back in the race for the tallest building in the world. Construction on the long-awaited Jeddah Tower (Burj Jeddah) has officially resumed, and once complete, it’s set to rise to at least 1,000 metres — well beyond the height of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, which currently holds the record at 828 metres.
Officially known as the Jeddah Economic Company Tower, the structure has been in the works for over a decade. After years of delays, the project is once again moving forward. The city can already boast 172-meter flagpole — the tallest in the world, — and with Burj Jeddah, its skyline is about to be changed again.
As of now, 63 of the planned 157 floors have been completed, with more than SAR 1 billion already spent on construction. Concrete pouring is currently underway. The design comes from Adrian Smith, the same architect behind the Burj Khalifa.
The tower will include luxury residential units, commercial space, a Four Seasons hotel, and a large observation deck offering wide views of Jeddah and the Red Sea. Once finished, the building is expected to be completed in about 42 months, putting its estimated opening in the first half of 2028.
While Jeddah pushes forward with this major project, Dubai continues to expand its skyline with 5 record-breaking towers in progress, including Burj Azizi, which is expected to become the second tallest tower in the world.
There’s no doubt that competition in vertical architecture across the region is growing. With both cities aiming high, the skyline of the Gulf is set to look very different in just a few years. Stay tuned for more updates on these mega-projects as they take shape.
