Construction on Jeddah Tower, set to become the world’s tallest skyscraper, has resumed after a seven-year hiatus, with the project now expected to be completed by 2028. The tower, located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was originally halted due to a kingdom-wide anti-corruption purge in 2017 that targeted high-profile figures involved in the project.
At a ceremony held this week, the Jeddah Economic Company (JEC), the development consortium overseeing the project, confirmed that construction is back on track. The 1,000-meter-tall (3,280 feet) tower was one-third complete before work stopped, with 63 of the planned 157 stories built. The project, which had its groundbreaking in 2013, aims to surpass the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, currently the tallest building in the world at 828 meters (2,717 feet).
Reasons for the Hiatus
The tower’s construction was disrupted after several key figures connected to the project were implicated in Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s anti-corruption drive. Among those detained were Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, chairman of Kingdom Holding Company, a major backer of the tower, and Bakr bin Laden, chairman of the Saudi Binladen Group, the project’s main contractor. Both individuals have since been released, with Bakr bin Laden’s family firm re-hired to complete the skyscraper.
The Covid-19 pandemic further delayed the resumption of work. However, satellite imagery in recent months indicated that preliminary construction had quietly resumed, leading to the official restart announcement.
Vision and Design of Jeddah Tower
Designed by Adrian Smith, the US architect behind the Burj Khalifa, the tower features a three-petal footprint and a tapered, aerodynamic structure meant to overcome the challenges of extreme height. The design evokes “a bundle of leaves shooting up from the ground,” according to Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, the firm responsible for the project.
The skyscraper will serve as the centerpiece of a larger development called Jeddah Economic City, a 57-million-square-foot, $20-billion complex featuring residential, office, and retail spaces. It is also expected to house a hotel, a shopping mall, and the world’s highest observation deck. The tower will feature 59 elevators in one of the world’s most sophisticated elevator systems.
Saudi Arabia’s Ambitious Vision
Jeddah Tower is a key element of Saudi Arabia’s broader plans to position itself as a global economic hub. JEC’s Hisham Jomah, who was involved in the early stages of the project, described it as a shift in the mindset of Jeddah, traditionally seen as a gateway city to Mecca and Medina. The tower is part of the kingdom’s strategy to modernize and diversify its economy under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030.
Although the project has faced significant delays, officials and developers are optimistic that its completion will have a transformative impact on the region.