After a seven-year hiatus, construction on the world’s tallest building, which will house a luxury hotel and observatory deck, has resumed – and its completion date has finally been announced.
Saudi Arabia is currently developing Jeddah Tower, designed to be the first building to surpass one kilometre in height, standing at at 3,281 feet tall.
It is located in the city of Jeddah as the central feature of the $20b (£15b) Jeddah Economic City development along the coast of Red Sea.
The new district is set to become a major hub, complete with residential, commercial and entertainment areas.
Work on the Jeddah Tower official restarted this year in January after an extensive hiatus, primarily due to arrests of key figures – including the chairman of the main contractor, Saudi Binladin Group – during the country’s anti-corruption purge.
The project was delayed further by the COVID-19 pandemic, which lead to a seven-year halt in construction from 2018.
With development moving forward, the £780m ‘Burj Jeddah’ is anticipated to be finished by 2028, according to Design Boom.
Once built, the tower, designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, the firm that designed the Burj Khalifa, will be roughly 180 metres taller than the Dubai landmark, which currently holds the title as the world’s tallest at 2,717 feet (828m) tall.
Saudi Arabia is currently developing Jeddah Tower, designed to be the first building to surpass one kilometre in height, standing at at 3,281 feet (1,000m) tall (pictured: artist’s impression)
Once built, the tower (pictured), designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, the firm that designed the Burj Khalifa, will be roughly 180 metres taller than the Dubai landmark
On the 157th floor, a sky terrace will treat visitors to sweeping views of Jeddah and the Red Sea
The mixed-use tower, which will have 168 floors, will feature a Four Seasons hotel, swanky apartments, modern offices and the highest observation deck in the world.
On the 157th floor, a sky terrace will treat visitors to sweeping views of Jeddah and the Red Sea.
It will also boast a sophisticated elevator system, with an expected 56 lifts travelling up to ten metres per second.
The narrow tower, built from reinforced concrete and steel and cloaked in glass, will have a tapered, three-sided silhouette – designed to help reduce wind loads at its peak and allow for maximum space on the upper floors.
With the new building set to tower over Burj Khalifa, it seems fitting that, earlier this year, we revealed how Saudi Arabia has been dubbed the ‘new Dubai’ – with tourist numbers soaring as glitzy international hotel chains doors and airlines clamber to launch new routes.
Curious holidaymakers are flocking to Saudi Arabia’s magnificent ancient sites including the desert ruins of a Nabatean kingdom in AlUla and centuries-old tombs of Madai Saleh.
Other big draws are upmarket hotels at Red Sea resorts – said to rival those in the Maldives – as well as the bustling souks and cultural attractions of Jeddah and Riyadh, the capital.
New Virgin Atlantic flights from Heathrow to Riyadh began earlier this year – joining BA and Saudia on the route.
It’s being dubbed the ‘new Dubai’ – with tourist numbers soaring as glitzy international hotel chains doors and airlines clamber to launch new routes (Pictured: Saudi’s capital, Riyadh)
Meanwhile, you can book a room at the likes of Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons, Intercontinental. St Regis and Shangri-La, which have opened swanky new places to stay.
All in all, it’s remarkable progress for a country that was closed to holidaymakers until as recently as 2019, when a shift in approach began under Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman.
His aim was to diversify the economy to bring in tourism and not just rely on oil revenue – and the kingdom has since launched a global initiative to encourage tourism and cultural cross-fertilization across all borders called TOURISE (next meeting in Riyadh in November).
Events have moved fast ever since, with Formula One beginning in Jeddah in 2021 and sports tourism taking off on the back of major boxing fights including high profile showdowns between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.
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