Work Resumes on World Tallest Tower in Jeddah

Saudi Arabia-based Kingdom Holding Company, which is owned by H R H Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, has resumed construction of the 1k-meter Jeddah Tower, set to become the world’s tallest building, the company said in a post on X on Monday.

The Jeddah tower, previously known as the kingdom tower is a skyscraper in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Upon its completion, Jeddah Tower will be the tallest building in the world with a height of over 1 km and a total construction area of 530,000 sq. m. The tower will have a commercial and residential place occupying 57 million sq. feet featuring homes, hotels and offices.

The construction of the Jeddah tower began in 2013. However, plans of the construction of the tower were underway five years before with the initial idea of the building to be over 5000 feet tall. Concerns were raised about the structure leading to the height being reduced to the current one.

When the work on the project was suspended in January 2018, 63 floors have been completed out of a total of 157 and the project’s manager Jeddah Economic Company tapped Saudi Binladin Group in October last year to resume construction works under a $1.97 billion agreement, of which $290 million has been paid. Though plans were underway to resume work in 2020, it was delayed following the outbreak of COVID-19.

According to the X (formerly twitter) post, work on the Jeddah Tower has officially resumed and concrete pouring has begun on the global symbol of ambition and progress, in the presence of H R H Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, Eng Talal Bin Ibrahim Al-Maiman, CEO of Kingdom Holding Company, Sheikh Yeslam Bin Laden of Bin Laden Group, Eng. Hassan Sharbatly of Qalaa Jeddah Real Estate Investment Company Limited and Mohammed Al-Qatari of Abrar International Company Limited.

Redefining Jeddah Skyline

At over 1,000 metres tall, the Jeddah Tower will become the tallest building in the world, redefining the Jeddah skyline and positioning Saudi Arabia as a showcase for architectural excellence and economic opportunity.

Talal Al Maiman said that the ceremony represents the embodiment of a vision that took years of work and the Jeddah Tower will be a beacon of innovation and a catalyst for growth. The tower will feature luxury residential units, commercial spaces, a Four Seasons hotel and an observation deck offering unique views of Jeddah and the Red Sea.

The project is being managed by Jeddah Economic Company in collaboration with world-class architects Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architects and a team of leading engineers from Thornton Tomasetti and Langan International.

As part of Saudi Vision 2030, the Jeddah Tower is in line with the Kingdom’s goals to diversify the economy and promote sustainable urban development. The project is expected to create significant job opportunities during and after construction.