Saudi Arabia‘s Jeddah Tower is rising fast and it is still on track to become the world’s tallest building. The megatall skyscraper has reached 113 floors and 454 meters, with completion targeted for August 2028, according to Arabian Business.
Once finished, the tower will stand more than 1,000 meters tall. That is at least 180 meters higher than Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. The Burj Khalifa is the current record holder at 828 meters, making Jeddah Tower the first 1 kilometer building in history.
Jeddah Tower Construction Reaches 113 Floors
Crews reached the 113 floor mark by September 2, 2026, following the project’s construction restart in January 2025, according to Arabian Business. The project had been paused for years. However, work resumed after the long pause.
Progress has been rapid. Project teams had reached level 91 and about 370 meters by March 2026. The September update represents another 84 meters of vertical construction since that March disclosure.
Kingdom Holding Company, a major stakeholder in the project, recorded an average five day construction cycle per floor at the March stage. Around 5,200 workers were operating across major workstreams. More than 65,000 cubic meters of concrete had been poured since the restart. This is about half of the planned volume covered by that update. Crews had completed 23 structural levels since work resumed.
German fastening specialist fischer is supplying steel and chemical fastening products for the tower and providing on site technical support, according to Arabian Business.
The World’s First 1 Kilometer Building
Jeddah Tower is planned to be the first building in history to reach 1 kilometer in height. Its planned architectural height is at least 1,008 meters (3,307 feet), according to Wikipedia.
The numbers behind the project are enormous. The tower will have 167 floors and 252 levels, with 243,866 square meters of floor area. It will use 57 elevators made by KONE, including 7 double decked cars to move people quickly through the giant structure.
One of its most famous features will be the observatory, with a sky terrace at 630 to 638 meters. It is set to become the highest observatory in the world, offering panoramic views of Jeddah and the Red Sea.
The tower uses a three legged design that tapers as it rises. This shape helps the building stay stable and manage strong wind forces at extreme heights, according to Time Out Riyadh. Its structure combines reinforced concrete and steel with an all glass facade. The building stands on a five meter thick raft foundation supported by 270 bored piles, according to Construction Review Online.
Who Is Building It
The tower is the centerpiece of the Jeddah Economic City project in Obhur North, Jeddah. It is being developed by the Jeddah Economic Company, with the Saudi Binladin Group as the main contractor.
In October 2024, the Jeddah Economic Company signed a SAR7.2 billion (about $1.9 billion) contract with Saudi Binladin Group to complete the remaining works. This deal was made after 63 floors had already been built before the long suspension, according to Time Out Riyadh.
The design comes from Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, led by architect Adrian Smith, who designed the Burj Khalifa while at SOM. Structural engineering is handled by Thornton Tomasetti, specialists in ultra tall buildings. Engineering support comes from Dar Al Handasah and project management is by Turner International. The tower’s operator will be CBRE Group.
Construction originally started in April 2013, and the total tower cost is estimated at $1.2 billion.
When finished, the mixed use tower will hold luxury residential units, offices, serviced apartments, and a Four Seasons hotel. It will also include the record breaking observatory.
Part of a Bigger Plan
Jeddah Tower anchors the wider Jeddah Economic City, a development spanning about 5.3 million square meters with an estimated value of around $20 billion, according to Construction Review Online.
The Jeddah Economic Company says infrastructure for the entire first phase covering 1.3 million square meters has been completed, including electricity, water, sewage, flood drainage, and high speed internet connectivity. The project’s scale reflects the same AI boom that carried Nvidia to a 4 trillion dollar valuation.
Kingdom Holding Company’s 2025 annual reporting confirms construction continued against the August 2028 program throughout the year. In total, construction is expected to take around 42 months from the restart.
The tower will extend the Gulf’s lead in record scale construction though it may one day face a taller rival. The planned Rise Tower in Riyadh is designed to reach 2 kilometers. It is slated for completion in 2030, according to Time Out Riyadh.
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