Saudi’s Jeddah Tower expected to beat Burj Khalifa as world’s tallest skyscraper – Highlights
Envisioned as a vertical city, the Jeddah Tower integrates various urban functions into one massive structure. This mixed-use landmark is expected to exceed the current record by nearly 200 meters
SAUDI Arabia’s Jeddah Tower, set to overtake the Burj Khalifa as the world’s tallest skyscraper, has reached a significant milestone by surpassing 80 floors, Newsweek reported.
Envisioned as a vertical city, the tower integrates various urban functions into one massive structure.
This mixed-use landmark is expected to exceed the current record by nearly 200 meters, redefining global architectural limits and the race for height.
As the focal point of Jeddah Economic City, the project aims to turn Jeddah into an international tourism and commercial center. It was designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture — the same team responsible for the 828-meter Burj Khalifa — utilising innovative engineering to ensure stability at such extreme altitudes.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Dimensions: Over 1,000 meters (3,280+ feet) tall, spanning 57 million square feet.
Capacity: Approximately 130+ floors.
Timeline: Building resumed in 2024–2025 following delays, with an expected 2028 completion.
The project is supported by prominent Saudi investors and supports Vision 2030, the national plan to diversify the Saudi economy away from petroleum. The skyscraper will house 59 high-speed elevators, including some of the world's fastest, to navigate the vertical expanse, alongside 12 escalators.
PLANNED FACILITIES
Lower and mid-level luxury hotels.
Elite apartments featuring views of the Red Sea.
High-level corporate office spaces.
Hospitality and retail districts.
The planet's highest observation deck.
To handle wind pressure and heat at these heights, the design incorporates energy-efficient facades and advanced climate systems. Core engineering includes an aerodynamic tapered shape to minimise wind resistance, a reinforced steel and concrete core for strength, and a foundation built for immense loads.
Smart technology will oversee safety and energy use. Initially started in 2009, construction stalled in 2018 amid Saudi political shifts affecting local contractors before recently restarting.
According to a Newsweek report, Thorson Tomasetti, the company providing structural design services to Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, in a statement, said: “Jeddah Tower, Saudi Arabia’s landmark megatall mixed-use tower, made significant construction progress in 2025, surpassing 80 floors in December. When completed, it will exceed 1,000 meters (3,280 feet), becoming the first human-made structure to reach a full kilometre.”
Robert Forest, partner at AS+GG Architecture, told Newsweek in August: "Construction activities have ramped up, and the atmosphere on site is robust. The entire team is committed and focused on realizing this iconic structure for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."
The Saudi administration is also doubling down on height with a planned Trump Tower in Jeddah and the $5 billion Rise Tower in Riyadh, expected to be the first to reach 2 km in height, said the report.
