Kathmandu. Dubai’s Burj Khalifa may lose the title of the world’s tallest building. This record is now on the verge of being broken. A skyscraper is being built in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The height of which only gives an idea of the scale of the project.
It is called the Jeddah Tower. It was formerly known as the Kingdom Tower. When fully completed, it will rise to at least 1,000 meters (1 kilometer). With this height, it will become the first building in the world to cross the one-kilometer mark.
According to the latest construction progress, the structure of the Jeddah Tower has reached its 109th floor by August 2026. It has reached a height of about 430 meters. This means that the building is still far below its final height. However, its structure, which rose above the ground, now looks like a giant skyscraper from a distance.
The tower is planned to have more than 157 storeys. The pace of construction is also increasing continuously. According to engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti, its main structure is being added about one floor and about 4 meters per week.
How tall will this tower be from the Khalifa?
Currently, the tallest building in the world is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It is at a height of 828 meters. The proposed height of the Jeddah Tower is at least 1,000 meters. This means that there will be a difference of about 172 meters between the two. To put it simply, after the completion of the Jeddah Tower, the record of Burj Khalifa of 828 meters will be surpassed.
The Jeddah Tower was designed by American architect Adrian Smith. Interestingly, Adrian Smith was also involved in the design of Burj Khalifa.
From the top, the shape of the Jeddah Tower looks like three petals. This design is not just for visual appeal. Wind is one of the biggest challenges for such a tall building. The shape of the tower is designed keeping in mind the air pressure and the resulting airflow. This means that both design and engineering are done simultaneously.
The Jeddah Tower will not only have offices and houses. It will also include hotels, residential spaces, serviced apartments, and other amenities. Its most notable feature will include one of the world’s tallest observation decks at an altitude of about 630 to 638 meters. A helipad is also planned atop the tower.
The Jeddah Tower is not just built as a tall building. A luxury hotel with about 200 rooms has also been proposed. In addition, there will be private accommodation and apartments provided by service. The taller the building, the more special and expensive the residential spaces are expected to be.
The story of this project is not just about engineering. Construction started in 2013 but stopped a few years later. After 2018, the construction of the Jeddah Tower was halted for a long time. The financial and political situation surrounding the project was one of the main reasons for this.
After a seven-year pause, construction resumed in January 2025. Then came news of a new contract worth more than $2 billion to move the project forward, and large-scale work on the site resumed.
Considering the current construction progress, the Jeddah Tower is expected to be completed around 2028. If the project goes as planned, the record for the tallest building in the world will be changed once again. The 828-meter Burj Khalifa will move from No. 1 to No. 2. The Jeddah Tower will become the tallest building in the world, reaching at least 1,000 meters. -Agency
