Construction of the Jeddah Tower, designed to become the world’s tallest building, is advancing rapidly. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, chairman of Kingdom Holding, confirmed that the structure—formerly known as Kingdom Tower—has officially reached a height of 430 metres. During a site visit, the chairman expressed his commitment to the project, stating, “I met with the work teams at Jeddah Tower and saw the progress in person. We have reached a height of 430 metres out of 1000+ m. Praise be to God, the work continues, and we will complete the tallest tower in the world.”
The latest quarterly results from Kingdom Holding indicate that the tower has now reached 106 levels. This milestone means the Saudi skyscraper has surpassed half the height of the current record-holder, Dubai’s 828-metre Burj Khalifa. Both architectural marvels were designed by the US-based firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture. The Jeddah Tower project is set to feature a total built area of 530,000 square metres, or approximately 5.7 million square feet.
The complex is engineered to include 59 elevators, comprising 54 single-deck and five double-deck units, complemented by 12 escalators. Notably, the elevators serving the building’s observatory are designed to travel at speeds of 10 metres per second in both directions. Currently, the site is active with approximately 6,400 workers, and more than 300,000 cubic metres of concrete have been poured to date.
The development has faced a complex timeline since its inception in 2013, enduring various economic and political challenges, as well as significant delays during the global coronavirus pandemic. Despite these setbacks, the project remains a centerpiece of Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure ambitions.
The Skyscraper Center notes that the global list of tallest completed towers includes structures such as Marina 101, 23 Marina, Elite Residence, Ciel Tower, The Address Boulevard, City Tower One, Almas Tower, Gevora Hotel, II Prime Tower, the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai towers, Emirates Tower One, and The Torch.
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, chairman of Kingdom Holding, said the tower – which was named Kingdom Tower earlier – has “reached a height of 430 metres out of 1,000-plus metres.”
The company also announced that it had reached 106 levels and 430 metres height in its quarterly results report.
Waheed Abbas is Assistant Editor, covering real estate, aviation and other business stories that directly affect the lives of UAE consumers.
Source: Khaleej Times
