Saudi billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal has announced that the Jeddah Tower, poised to become the world’s tallest building, will cost approximately 100 billion riyals ($26 billion) and is expected to be completed within three and a half years.
Construction of the tower, halted in 2018, has officially resumed. “We are back,” Prince Alwaleed, chairman of Kingdom Holding Company (KHC), shared on messaging platform X.
Once completed, the Jeddah Tower will surpass 1,000 meters in height, reshaping the city’s skyline and showcasing Saudi Arabia as a hub for architectural innovation and economic growth. The development, led by Jeddah Economic Company (JEC), has completed 63 of its planned 157 floors, with the project set to conclude in 42 months.
Located in the Obhur district, the surrounding development will span 1.7 million square meters and accommodate up to 100,000 people upon completion in 2028, according to Prince Alwaleed. Property values in the area have already risen due to the project.
Construction began in 2013 but was paused in 2018 during Saudi Arabia’s anti-corruption campaign, which led to the detention of key figures, including the chairman of Binladin Group, the project’s main contractor.
Designed by Adrian Smith, the architect behind Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the Jeddah Tower will eclipse the Burj Khalifa’s 828-meter height. Its features include a “three-petal” base, a tapered aerodynamic design, luxurious apartments, a Four Seasons hotel, office spaces, retail outlets, and the world’s highest observation deck on the 157th floor.
Advanced structural engineering continues to push the limits of skyscraper construction. Bill Baker, a structural engineer involved in the Burj Khalifa project, recently noted that modern technology could allow for towers as tall as three kilometers.
