Jeddah Tower Project Overview
The Jeddah Tower, formerly known as the Kingdom Tower, is the centerpiece of the Jeddah Economic City development in Saudi Arabia. It is designed to become the tallest building in the world, surpassing the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The project is developed by Jeddah Economic Company, a subsidiary of Saudi conglomerate Alinma Investment, with engineering support from Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. As of the latest public updates, the structure remains under active construction, with the tower planned to reach a height of over 1,000 meters. The building is intended to include office space, luxury residences, and hotel accommodations within a single mixed-use tower.
The Jeddah Tower project is part of Saudi Arabia's broader Vision 2030 initiative to diversify the economy and develop mega-projects beyond oil. The tower is expected to feature a tapered, asymmetric design optimized for wind loads and structural stability at extreme heights. Construction has been managed in phases, with foundation and piling work completed early in the project timeline. The developer has emphasized the use of high-performance concrete and advanced structural systems to achieve the target height. Financial terms of the project have not been fully disclosed, but estimates place the total cost in the billions of Saudi riyals.
Height, Design, and Structural Details
The target height of the Jeddah Tower is officially stated as over 1,000 meters, making it the first building in history to cross the one-kilometer mark. The design was led by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, the same firm behind the Burj Khalifa. The tower will use a buttressed core structural system to manage lateral forces and maintain stability at extreme heights. Floor plates are planned to be slender and elongated to maximize views of the Red Sea and the surrounding city. The building's form incorporates setbacks and tapering to reduce wind vortex shedding and structural sway.
Construction materials for the Jeddah Tower include high-strength concrete and advanced steel alloys capable of withstanding the extreme loads at this height. The foundation relies on deep piles driven into the dense subsurface layers beneath Jeddah. Wind engineering studies conducted by specialist firms have shaped the tower's aerodynamic profile. The tower will also feature a high-performance curtain wall façade designed to reduce solar heat gain. As of the latest available data, the structure has reached a significant portion of its planned height, though the exact current status is subject to periodic updates from the developer.
Developer, Cost, and Expected Completion
The primary developer of the Jeddah Tower is Jeddah Economic Company, which is majority owned by Alinma Investment. The project has involved multiple international engineering and consulting firms for structural design, wind engineering, and construction management. Cost estimates for the tower have varied over the years, with early reports suggesting a budget exceeding several billion U.S. dollars. The developer has not released a final confirmed figure, but the project is understood to represent one of the largest single-building investments in Saudi Arabia. Funding arrangements have included a mix of equity from the developer and external financing arrangements.
The expected completion date for the Jeddah Tower has shifted multiple times due to construction pace and external factors. The latest public statements from the developer indicate that the tower will be completed within the current decade, though no fixed date has been formally confirmed. The project's progress can be tracked through official announcements from Jeddah Economic Company and coverage in business and architecture media. For additional context on Saudi Arabia's broader construction ambitions, see the relevant overview on the Saudi Vision 2030 portal at Saudi Vision 2030. Detailed structural and engineering insights are also available through the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat at CTBUH.