Jeddah Tower: Construction resumes on world’s tallest skyscraper after 7 years pause
Construction on Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Tower, set to become the world’s tallest skyscraper, has resumed after a seven-year hiatus caused by a kingdom-wide anti-corruption purge.
The project, led by Jeddah Economic Company (JEC), is now slated for completion in 2028. This 1,000-meter-tall marvel was already one-third complete when key figures, including the chairmen of the main contractor and a co-financing conglomerate, were detained in 2017 as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s anti-graft campaign.
The tower’s progress had been uncertain since work came to a standstill in early 2018, despite JEC’s assurance that construction would continue.
The COVID-19 pandemic further delayed plans to resume work. However, with this week’s ceremony marking the project’s restart, attended by previously detained Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, chairman of Kingdom Holding Company, optimism is renewed. Prince Alwaleed, freed nearly three months after his arrest, posted a video showcasing the tower’s digital rendering, captioned “We’re back.”
Designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, Jeddah Tower will surpass Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, currently the world’s tallest building, by 172 meters.
The mixed-use tower will feature a Four Seasons hotel, apartments, office space, luxury condominiums, and the world’s highest observatory, overlooking the Red Sea.
With an estimated cost of $20 billion, this project is a significant part of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious plans to revive Jeddah’s urban core.
According to an announcement on the Saudi stock exchange, Saudi Binladen Group has secured a new contract valued at 7.2 billion riyals ($1.9 billion), with approximately 1.1 billion riyals ($290 million) already paid for work completed so far. Currently, 63 out of the tower’s planned 157 floors have been constructed.
