Pharaonic Workshops Feature Tower of Jedda, One Kilometer Apart
The race to build the world's tallest building is heating up, with Saudi Arabia's Jeddah Tower aiming to break the one-kilometer mark and surpass the current record holder, Dubai's Burj Khalifa.
As of now, no specific building in Saudi Arabia has been named as the contender for crossing the one-kilometer mark, but the Jeddah Tower, part of the larger Jeddah Economic City development, is the current frontrunner. Planned to reach approximately 1,008.2 meters, the Jeddah Tower is set to surpass the Burj Khalifa's current height of 828 meters.
The Jeddah Tower is envisioned as a symbol of Saudi Arabia's ambition and innovation. Led by Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, the project is slated for completion around 2028 and represents a major leap in skyscraper engineering and design.
The Burj Khalifa, completed in 2009, currently holds the title as the world's tallest building. Its LED facade celebrated its record-breaking height with the Guinness World Records motif. However, it is not the contender for the one-kilometer mark.
The one-kilometer mark is a significant milestone that has not yet been reached by any building in the world. Unlike the news about tall buildings often being met with indifferent apathy, the one-kilometer mark is a symbolic barrier that is set to be crossed in the 2030s.
The Merdeka 118 tower, inaugurated in 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, stands at 679 meters tall, making it one of the tallest buildings in the world. Despite its impressive height, it is not the contender for the one-kilometer mark. The Merdeka 118 tower is currently the tallest building in the world, but it is surpassed by the one-kilometer mark.
In the 1930s, American architects H. Craig Severance and William Van Alen were in a competition to build the world's tallest building, but they were surpassed by the completion of the Empire State Building, which stands at 381 meters (443.2 with the antenna). The Empire State Building is not a contender for the one-kilometer mark.
The Jeddah Tower, if completed as planned, will not only break the one-kilometer mark but also represent a major leap in skyscraper engineering and design, symbolising Saudi Arabia's ambition and innovation on the global stage.
Technology will play a crucial role in the construction of the Jeddah Tower, as advanced engineering designs and materials will be required to surpass the height of the Burj Khalifa and reach the one-kilometer mark. The Jeddah Tower's completion, expected around 2028, will demonstrate the latest advancements in skyscraper technology.
