Dubai, the city of superlatives, has been home to the tallest building in the world since 2010– the Burj Khalifa. The tower stretches 2,722 feet (830 meters) into the sky – over half a mile – and has never been surpassed as the title holder of the world’s tallest man-made structure. However, that could soon change as Saudi Arabia attempts to steal the title from the United Arab Emirates.

Saudi Arabia, a country known for their ambitious megaprojects (such as NEOM, which is estimated to cost around $8.8 trillion), is home to several supertall skyscrapers, most of which are located in the capital city of Riyadh. While Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha were quick to build skyscrapers back in the early 2010s, Riyadh has recently gone through a construction boom, with over 100 skyscrapers being built across the city since 2014. 

Meanwhile, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia’s booming port city, has seen a massive uptick in tourism over the last few years– last year, the city’s Jeddah Season 2024 event alone drew over 1.7 million visitors. Additionally, the arrival of Formula 1 in the city has also put it on the global map for many tourists around the world who were initially unaware of its appeal.

Now, the city has resumed construction of the world’s tallest skyscraper, which has been on hold for some time. The Jeddah Tower was conceptualized in 2008, with the project’s official announcement coming in 2011. It was designed by American architect Adrian Smith, who also designed Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, New York City’s Central Park Tower, and the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago. 

In 2013, construction on the tower began, with the skyscraper set to become the jewel in the crown of Saudi Arabia’s new Jeddah Economic City (JEC) project. Saudi Arabian Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal Al Saud is financing and leading the project, as he is a major stakeholder in the development of the JEC.

However, construction ground to a halt in 2018, stopping at the 63rd floor after labor problems with the main contractor for the building, the Saudi Binladin Group (SBG). After further delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, they began searching for another contractor in 2023, but a new contract was ultimately secured with the SBG last year. 

Construction on the Jeddah Tower officially resumed in January 2025, with the concrete being poured on the 64th floor to confirm the next steps in the skyscraper’s creation. It is slated to be completed in 2028, when it will top out at a height of at least 3,280 ft (1,000 m) making it at least 558 ft (170 m) taller than the Burj Khalifa. On the inside, the tower will contain a Four Seasons hotel, offices, apartments, and the world’s highest observation deck on the 157th floor; it all comes at a cost, though– the skyscraper is expected to cost a staggering $1.2 billion.

Image credit to CNN and Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture