Dubai’s Burj Khalifa may soon lose its record with Saudi Arabia planning the 2 km Rise Tower and resuming construction of the 1 km Jeddah Tower.
The Burj Khalifa, Dubai’s shining symbol of ambition and architectural marvel is set to lose its crown as the world’s tallest tower.
Saudi Arabia has revealed plans for the Rise Tower in Riyadh, a futuristic mega-project expected to soar to a staggering 2,000 metres, dwarfing the Burj Khalifa’s current record of 828 metres.
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The design, unveiled by global architectural firm HKS, shows what could become the centrepiece of Riyadh’s new “North Pole” development, a 306 square kilometre city-of-the-future. If built as planned, the tower will feature 678 floors, packed with luxury hotels, offices, dining venues and sky-high observation decks.
But Rise Tower is not the only rival in Saudi Arabia’s pipeline. The long-delayed Jeddah Tower, also known as the Jeddah Economic Company Tower, is back under construction after years of setbacks. Once completed, it is projected to surpass 1,000 metres in height, making it another serious contender to overtake Dubai’s crown jewel.
For now, Burj Khalifa still reigns supreme on the skyline, but with Saudi Arabia’s giga-projects moving forward, the race to build ever-taller towers is heating up. The question is: can Dubai’s icon hold on to its global spotlight or is a new era of skyscrapers about to begin in Riyadh and Jeddah?
