Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Tower, poised to eclipse the Burj Khalifa as the world’s tallest building, has now crossed a new milestone with the tower surpassing 80 floors, according to a new construction update.
Why It Matters
The Saudi government announced the resumption of the long-stalled Jeddah Tower as part of a broader push to revive and accelerate megaprojects aimed at diversifying the kingdom’s economy beyond oil. The skyscraper forms part of a wider development drive that includes large-scale initiatives across the country.
What To Know
Thornton Tomasetti is providing structural design services to Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill (AS+GG) Architecture which is planning on having the tower is set to reach unprecedented heights and surpass Burj Khalifa in the United Arab Emirates—the current world’s tallest building, which was also designed by Smith.
Tomasetti said this week that more than 80 floors were constructed marking significant progress on the tower in 2025. The building is expected to have some 130 floors.
The mixed-use skyscraper is designed to rise over 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) and span 57 million square feet, featuring a luxury hotel, office space, serviced apartments, high-end condominiums, and the world’s highest observation deck.
Construction on the Jeddah Tower began in 2009, before it was paused in 2018 due to the purges in Saudi Arabia, which impacted contractors working on the site.
The extreme height of Jeddah Tower requires one of the world’s most sophisticated elevator systems. The tower is planned to feature 59 elevators — 54 single-deck and five double-deck — along with 12 escalators. The building’s “exterior wall system” aims to minimize energy consumption by reducing thermal loads.
What People Are Saying
Thorson Tomasetti in a statement Tuesday: “Jeddah Tower, Saudi Arabia’s landmark megatall mixed-use tower, made significant construction progress in 2025, surpassing 80 floors in December. When completed, it will exceed 1,000 meters (3,280 feet), becoming the first human-made structure to reach a full kilometer.”
Robert Forest, partner at AS+GG Architecture told Newsweek in August: “Construction activities have ramped up, and the atmosphere on site is robust. The entire team is committed and focused on realizing this iconic structure for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
What Happens Next
The Jeddah Tower is still expected to be completed by 2028. Saudi Arabia is also doubling down on height with a planned Trump Tower in Jeddah and the $5-billion Rise Tower in Riyadh, expected to be the first to reach 2 kilometers, or 6,562 feet in height.
