Saudi Arabia's Impossible Tower...So What Is Next?

Following the suspension of the Mukaab mega-cube in Riyadh in early 2026 and the scaling back of Neom’s linear city concept, Saudi Arabia’s next major architectural focus is the Jeddah Tower (also known as the JEC Tower).

Designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill, this skyscraper in Jeddah is set to become the world’s tallest building, surpassing Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.

Key Project Details

Status: Construction resumed in 2024–2025 after a long hiatus; the structure has rapidly progressed past 100 floors as of mid-2026.
Height: Planned to exceed 1,000 meters (3,280 feet), making it the first structure in history to reach the kilometer mark.
Completion: Expected to open in 2028.
Features: The tower will include 157+ floors, a luxury hotel, high-end residences, office space, and the world’s highest observation deck.
Strategic Shift: This project aligns with Saudi Vision 2030, reflecting a pivot from speculative “impossible” structures like the Mukaab toward landmark infrastructure that anchors a broader economic hub in Jeddah.

Current Status: Jeddah Tower

Construction on the Jeddah Tower (also known as the Jeddah Economic Tower or JEC Tower) has resumed and is progressing rapidly. As of mid-2026, the structure has surpassed the 100th floor, reaching approximately 106 stories. Designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, the tower is on track for completion in 2028, aiming to exceed 1,000 meters (3,280 feet). This would make it the first building in history to reach the one-kilometer milestone, surpassing Dubai’s Burj Khalifa (828 meters) by nearly 200 meters. The project is a cornerstone of Saudi Vision 2030, intended to anchor the Jeddah Economic City development.

Future Ambitions: Rise Tower

Beyond Jeddah, Saudi Arabia is planning the Rise Tower in Riyadh as part of the North Pole project (part of NEOM’s broader ambitions, though distinct in location). Unveiled in 2023, the Rise Tower is designed to soar 2 kilometers (1.24 miles), making it more than twice the height of the Burj Khalifa. Designed by Foster + Partners, this 678-story megastructure is expected to cost around $5 billion and will feature luxury hotels, offices, residences, and observation decks. It represents a shift from merely breaking height records to creating vertical “cities of the future.”

Other Notable Regional Projects

The Middle East is experiencing a surge in supertall construction, with the UAE also launching ambitious projects like Burj Azizi in Dubai, which aims to be the world’s second-tallest tower at approximately 725 meters (with speculative reports of higher heights). This project includes a “seven-star” hotel and is expected to complete by 2027-2028.

Top 10 Tallest/Upcoming Buildings Table

Rank	Building Name	Location	Planned/Current Height	Status
1	Burj Khalifa	Dubai, UAE	828 m (2,717 ft)	Completed (2010)
2	Jeddah Tower	Jeddah, Saudi Arabia	1,000+ m (3,280+ ft)	Under Construction (Target 2028)
3	Rise Tower	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	2,000 m (6,562 ft)	Planned/Design Phase
4	Burj Azizi	Dubai, UAE	~725-1,000 m	Under Construction (Target 2027-28)
5	One World Trade Center	New York, USA	541 m (1,776 ft)	Completed (2014)
6	Shanghai Tower	Shanghai, China	632 m (2,073 ft)	Completed (2015)
7	Abraj Al Bait Clock Tower	Mecca, Saudi Arabia	601 m (1,972 ft)	Completed (2012)
8	Lakhta Center	St. Petersburg, Russia	462 m (1,516 ft)	Completed (2019)
9	Ping An Finance Center	Shenzhen, China	599 m (1,965 ft)	Completed (2017)
10	CITIC Tower (China Zun)	Beijing, China	528 m (1,732 ft)	Completed (2018)

In The News

Recent updates highlight that Jeddah Tower construction restarted in January 2025 after years of delay due to financial and technical issues. The tower has recently passed the 100-story mark, with crews adding floors at a rapid pace. Meanwhile, the Rise Tower continues to be cited as a key indicator of Saudi Arabia’s long-term ambition to redefine global architectural limits, although some other NEOM projects like The Line have faced recent contract cancellations and delays.

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