Construction of the Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia is ongoing at rapid speed, with 80 floors nearly completed, as the world watches with bated breath on whether it will surpass the height of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa to become the tallest tower in the world.
Part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, the construction of the tower, located in Jeddah, the commercial capital of the country, was stalled for a long time due to the COVID-19 pandemic and amid controversy. Construction restarted in January 2025, with one new floor being added every three to four days, according to a report by Newsweek.
Previously known as the Kingdom Tower, the Saudi government plans to complete Jeddah Tower by 2028 to compete with Burj Khalifa for the title of the world’s tallest building. It’ll be the world’s first 1-kilometre-high building.
Cranes were seen rising on the skyline of Jeddah as construction companies, including Saudi Binladin Group, Dar Al-Handasah, and Turner Construction, continue to build the tower at unprecedented speeds. In August 2025, the Jeddah Tower had completed the construction of 75 floors.
The foundation of the building is a massive hybrid piled raft system, featuring a five-metre thick concrete pad over 7,500 sq metres, anchored by 270 deep bored piles extending up to 110 metres into limestone and coral rock, providing stability. The tower will reportedly include retail podiums, dining, and events in a five-floor base, the Gulf News reported.
Saudi Arabian authorities are also planning to build another structure named the Rise Tower in Riyadh. It is currently in the planning design phase, and aims to be the world’s first 2 km-tall skyscraper, with contractor bidding underway after design finalisation in 2023-2024, showing Saudi Arabia’s ambition for futuristic “supertall” structures.
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