After years of construction delays, the massive JEC Tower project has officially resumed construction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, along the shores of the Red Sea. This titanesque undertaking aims to build the world's tallest building: a skyscraper that will soar more than one kilometer into the sky. This isn't just a figure of speech – the announced height is precisely 1,007 meters, making it nearly twice as tall as One World Trade Center in New York City.
Designed by the renowned architectural firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, the tower will significantly surpass the current record holder, the Burj Khalifa, which stands at 828 meters. Notably, the Burj Khalifa was also designed by the same architect, Adrian Smith. Smith clearly knows his way around record-breaking structures, and with the JEC Tower, he's preparing to shatter his own previous achievement.
Originally known as the Kingdom Tower, then later renamed the Jeddah Tower, the project has now found its definitive name: the Jeddah Economic Company Tower. The massive structure is part of a much larger urban development plan surrounding Jeddah, designed to house up to 100,000 people and featuring hospitals, schools, and other essential infrastructure.
The project had been halted after reaching 60 floors, partially due to internal political tensions, particularly the arrest of Prince Al Waleed bin Talal – the project's main instigator – during purges conducted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. However, time has passed, and construction has now resumed in earnest. A video published by Al Waleed himself, accompanied by the message "We're back," confirmed the project's revival.
Today, concrete is flowing steadily at the construction site, with workers completing one floor every four days. The massive construction contract, worth 7.2 billion Saudi riyals (approximately $1.9 billion), is being carried out by the Saudi Binladin Group. Upon completion, the tower will feature 157 floors, 59 elevators, office spaces, a luxury hotel, high-end residential units, and the world's highest observatory.
The structure rests on an enormous foundation system, supported by 270 concrete piles driven up to 105 meters deep into the ground. The tower's distinctive triangular shape draws inspiration from the folded leaves of desert plants and was specifically designed to reduce wind resistance while minimizing the effects of solar exposure.
The construction completion is scheduled for 2028, a deadline that's difficult to negotiate since the JEC Tower is an integral part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 program, designed to prepare the kingdom for the post-oil era. Alongside other ambitious projects such as The Line and the giant Mukaab cube, the tower embodies a certain vision of the kingdom's architectural ambition and represents the scale of Saudi Arabia's transformation efforts.
This race to the sky represents more than just architectural achievement – it symbolizes Saudi Arabia's broader economic diversification strategy as the country seeks to reduce its dependence on oil revenues and establish itself as a global hub for business, tourism, and innovation.
