For years, the Jeddah Tower sat unfinished along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast. Even frozen in time, the concrete core was taller than most skylines, standing as a stalled symbol of record-breaking ambition.
Now, construction has officially resumed.
The structure has reached 430 meters (1,411 feet) and Level 107, according to Saudi investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. Crews are pouring new upper floors while workers install façade panels on the lower levels.
Though still less than halfway to its target, the tower finally has visible, active progress. Once finished at over 1,000 meters (3,281 feet), it will officially shatter the world record as the tallest building ever constructed.
The Tower Has Passed 430 Meters
Prince Alwaleed announced the milestone after visiting the construction site and meeting the teams working on the project. He said the building had reached 430 meters out of a planned height exceeding one kilometer.
Recent construction images show cranes operating at the top of the tower, with the completed concrete floors narrowing sharply as the structure rises.
The building has now reached approximately 43% of its intended height. More than 570 meters (1,870 feet) remain before it passes the one-kilometer line.
That unfinished section alone would be tall enough to rank among the world’s largest skyscrapers.
Burj Khalifa Still Holds the Record
Dubai’s Burj Khalifa remains the world’s tallest completed building at 828 meters (2,717 feet). It has held the title since opening in 2010.
Jeddah Tower is designed to exceed 1,000 meters (3,281 feet), placing its top at least 172 meters (564 feet) above Burj Khalifa.
| Building | Height | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Jeddah Tower | More than 1,000 meters (3,281 feet) | Under construction |
| Burj Khalifa | 828 meters (2,717 feet) | Completed |
| Merdeka 118 | 679 meters (2,227 feet) | Completed |
| Shanghai Tower | 632 meters (2,073 feet) | Completed |
Dubai is not surrendering the title yet. Jeddah Tower must reach its planned height, complete its internal systems and officially open before it becomes the new record holder.
The current schedule points to completion in 2028, although the project has missed earlier timelines and still faces its most difficult construction stages.
Construction Returned After a Long Pause
Work on Jeddah Tower began in 2013, when the project was known as Kingdom Tower.
Construction stopped in 2018 after financial difficulties, contractor problems and wider disruption surrounding the companies involved. The pandemic added another delay, leaving the unfinished structure largely untouched for years.
During that period, the tower became one of the world’s most recognizable stalled megaprojects. Its height made it impossible to ignore, but there was little evidence that the original one-kilometer plan would be completed.
Construction resumed in full in 2025 after Jeddah Economic Company brought Saudi Binladin Group back as the main contractor. The tower has since passed 100 floors and continued climbing through 2026.
What Will Be Inside Jeddah Tower?
Jeddah Tower is not being built solely to claim a height record. It is planned as a mixed-use building containing homes, workplaces, hospitality and public attractions.
The plans include luxury apartments, office space, serviced residences, retail areas and a Four Seasons hotel. The building is expected to contain about 530,000 square meters (5.7 million square feet) of usable floor space.
Fifty-nine elevators will move residents, workers and visitors through separate sections of the tower. Passengers heading to the highest floors will change elevators at transfer levels rather than travel from the lobby in one continuous ride.
The tower will also contain an observation deck more than 640 meters (2,100 feet) above the ground. From that height, visitors would look down on the tops of almost every completed skyscraper in the world.
Current plans call for around 160 floors and an energy-efficient exterior designed for Jeddah’s hot climate.
Why the Tower Narrows Toward the Top?
The slender shape is not only an architectural choice. It is part of the system that helps the building manage wind.
Jeddah Tower has three wings that taper at different rates. The changing profile prevents strong air currents from striking the full building in one consistent pattern, reducing the force placed on the structure.
Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill Architecture designed the tower. Smith also worked on Burj Khalifa, giving him a direct role in both the current record holder and the building expected to replace it.
The tower stands on deep foundations built for the soft ground near the Red Sea. Its reinforced concrete core must carry an enormous weight while limiting movement at the highest occupied levels.
The Hardest Work Is Still Ahead
Reaching 430 meters is a major step, but construction becomes slower and more complicated as a skyscraper rises.
Concrete must be pumped farther from the ground. Workers and materials spend longer traveling to the active floor. Cranes face stronger winds, and the upper structure provides less room for equipment and supplies.
The building also needs far more than a completed concrete shell. Crews must install elevators, electricity, water systems, air conditioning, fire protection, glass panels and interior finishes throughout the tower.
That is why another height announcement will not decide whether the 2028 deadline is realistic. The stronger test will be steady construction across the next two years, followed by the completion of the systems needed to make the tower usable.
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More Than a Race for Height
Jeddah Tower will stand at the center of Jeddah Economic City, a planned development covering about 5.3 million square meters (57 million square feet).
The wider district is expected to include homes, hotels, offices, stores and public facilities. Saudi Arabia wants the project to attract tourists, investors and international companies while supporting its push to build industries outside oil.
The tower gives that plan a global symbol. Its success would place Jeddah at the center of the skyscraper world and shift the height record from one Gulf city to another.
For now, Burj Khalifa remains on top. Jeddah Tower stands at 430 meters (1,411 feet), with more than half of its climb still ahead and a final height planned above 1,000 meters (3,281 feet).
