Not Burj Khalifa, Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Tower Will Soon Be The Tallest Building In The World

Burj Khalifa will soon lose its title of the world’s tallest building. Work has begun again on Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Tower, also known as Kingdom Tower, which will surpass the height of the iconic building in Dubai once it’s fully constructed.

Jeddah Economic Company (JEC) has resumed work on the 1000-metre-plus (over 3,281 feet) tall building, which will be a mixed-use structure housing a luxury hotel, office spaces, serviced apartments, luxury condominiums and the world’s highest observatory.

All we know about Jeddah Tower, the world’s tallest building

A source closely linked to the project informed MEED that work on the tower’s construction is “back in full motion”. Tender for the project has been officially issued, and 14 companies from around the world have been invited to bid for the contract, adds the report.

The foundation and piling for the tower are already complete, and the tender is for constructing the superstructure of the tower. The work on it began in the early 2010s by the local Saudi Binladin Group (SBG), states the report.

According to Gulf Business, the tower has a total area of roughly 5,30,000 square metres (5.7 million square feet). It is the central attraction and the first construction phase of the USD-20-billion Kingdom City development in Saudi Arabia, adds the report. The tower alone is expected to cost around USD 1.2 billion and will be at least 173 metres (568 feet) taller than Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, which has a height of 828 metres (2,716 feet), and was designed by Adrian Smith while at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

According to the report, the architecture firm said that the design for Jeddah Tower “represents an evolution and a refinement of an architectural continuum of skyscraper design”. The report adds, “The three-petal footprint is ideal for residential units, and the tapering wings produce an aerodynamic shape that helps reduce structural loading due to wind vortex shedding. Jeddah Tower’s design embraces its architectural pedigree, taking full advantage of the proven design strategies and technological strategies of its lineage, refining, and advancing them to achieve new heights”.

The new construction will be done using green technology and materials, and will focus on minimising energy consumption. Additionally, each of Jeddah Tower’s three sides will have a series of notches that create shadow pockets, shielding portions of the building from the sun while offering mesmerising views of the city and the Red Sea. Another interesting area of the building will be its sky terrace, which is roughly 30 metres in diameter. Located on the 157th floor, this terrace will be open to the public and serve as the world’s highest observatory, according to the report.

Find out more about the tower here.

Hero and featured image credit: @jeddahtower/Instagram 

This story first appeared on Travel + Leisure