Jeddah Tower has crossed 80 floors and is racing past Burj Khalifa to become the world’s tallest skyscraper, marking a major milestone for Saudi Arabia’s skyline ambitions.
Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Jeddah Tower has crossed a decisive construction milestone, officially rising beyond 80 floors and bringing the kingdom closer to claiming the world’s tallest building crown—currently held by Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.
According to a recent Newsweek report, construction momentum has picked up sharply after years of delays, with work resuming in full force through 2024 and 2025.
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Once completed, Jeddah Tower is expected to soar past 1,000 metres, surpassing the Burj Khalifa by almost 200 metres and becoming the first man-made structure to reach a full kilometre into the sky.
Key highlights:
Envisioned as a “vertical city,” the megatall structure is the centrepiece of Jeddah Economic City, a flagship development aimed at transforming Jeddah into a global tourism, business, and lifestyle hub.
The tower is being designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, the same architectural firm behind the Burj Khalifa, using next-generation engineering to manage wind loads, hea,t and structural stress at extreme heights.
The mixed-use tower will house luxury hotels, premium residences with Red Sea views, corporate offices, retail and hospitality zones, and the highest observation deck on Earth. At its core, the building relies on an aerodynamic tapered form, a reinforced concrete-and-steel spine, and a foundation engineered to withstand unprecedented vertical loads.
Structural engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti confirmed that the tower crossed the 80-floor mark in December 2025, calling the project a landmark achievement in megatall construction.
With over 59 high-speed elevators—among the fastest globally—and smart systems managing energy and safety, the tower aligns closely with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 push to diversify beyond oil.
Initially launched in 2009 and stalled in 2018 due to contractor and political challenges, Jeddah Tower’s revival now signals Saudi Arabia’s renewed race for architectural supremacy. The kingdom is also planning other record-breaking projects, underlining its intent to dominate the future global skyline.
Published: 11 Jan 2026, 07:39 pm IST
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