Jeddah Tower aims to be the first building to reach one kilometre in height.

Countries & Cities · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Rising from the Saudi Arabian desert, Jeddah Tower is an ambitious engineering feat designed to surpass the Burj Khalifa by at least 180 metres. After years of delays, construction has resumed on this vertical city, which features advanced carbon-fiber elevator technology and a unique buttressed core structural system.

Designed by Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill, the Jeddah Tower is the centerpiece of the Jeddah Economic City project. Its structural design relies on a reinforced concrete buttressed core, a system refined from the Burj Khalifa. This configuration uses three wings radiating from a central core to provide lateral stiffness against wind, avoiding the need for traditional outrigger trusses. To manage wind-induced motion at extreme elevations, the spire includes an auxiliary two-staged damping system with mass dampers weighing 870 and 260 tonnes.

The tower's foundation is a massive engineering challenge, addressing the site's porous coral rock and soft bedrock. It consists of 270 bored piles extending up to 110 metres deep, capped by a reinforced concrete raft slab. To prevent corrosion from the nearby Red Sea, the concrete must maintain low permeability, and a cathodic protection system is integrated throughout the foundation. The building is expected to settle, so the design uses this piled raft system to ensure that settlement occurs evenly, preventing the structure from tipping.

Vertical transportation is handled by 57 elevators, including high-speed shuttles for the world's highest observation deck. These shuttles reach speeds of 10 metres per second, utilizing KONE UltraRope—a carbon-fiber technology that overcomes the weight limitations of conventional steel cables. This innovation allows for travel distances exceeding one kilometre. The project, which faced significant pauses due to labor issues and the COVID-19 pandemic, restarted in January 2025. It is envisioned as a semi-self-sustaining vertical city, housing a Four Seasons hotel, luxury condominiums, and Class A office space.

Beyond its height, the tower serves as a catalyst for the surrounding Jeddah Economic City, a 5.2-square-kilometre development. While the tower's own profitability is a goal, it is also intended to function as a symbolic landmark that increases the value of the surrounding waterfront district. With construction reaching the 100th floor by April 2026, the project aims to redefine the skyline of Jeddah as the city continues its northward expansion.

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