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Burj Khalifa is losing its crown as the world’s tallest building

Burj Khalifa is losing its crown as the world’s tallest building

Here’s why

Dubai’s iconic Burj Khalifa may soon be knocked off its title as the world’s tallest building.

At 828 metres tall, the city’s most famous landmark could soon be overtaken by two upcoming projects in Saudi Arabia.

Rise Tower, a proposed mega-project in Riyadh, is planned to be two kilometres in height but is currently still in the planning stage. However, the Jeddah Economic Tower continues to gather pace, having recently reached the 370m mark.



Also known as JEC Tower, the Jeddah structure is planned to be more than 1km tall, which would surpass the Burj Khalifa in the tall-building rankings.

Global architectural firm HKS unveiled design proposals in 2025 for the massive Saudi Public Investment Fund-backed Rise Tower project in Riyadh.

Burj Khalifa, Dubai Credit: Supplied

Riyadh’s plans for a massive world-record-breaking tower have been in the pipeline since 2023, but it remains a long way from the big opening date, with it still in the design phase.

Once complete, the Rise Tower will have 678 floors housing luxury hotels, fine-dining restaurants, observation decks and high-end offices.

It will be the centrepiece of a proposed 306 square kilometre ‘city of the future’ masterplan called the North Pole development.

Additionally, a report from 2024 mentioned that Emaar is potentially working on a new “super tower” in Dubai to rival the Burj Khalifa.

Rise Tower



Proposed designs for Riyadh’s Rise Tower (Credit: HKS Architects)

What about the Jeddah Economic Company Tower?

Jeddah’s long-running project, set to be a minimum of 1,000 metres, has been in the pipeline for more than a decade, but construction has been stop-start.

Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal announced the resumption of work with a post on social media last year, saying “we’re back” along with an artist’s rendering of the completed tower.

And on Monday January 20 2025, the Kingdom Holding Company officially revealed that work was finally back up and running on the building.

As of March 2026, the Jeddah Economic Company Tower appears to have soared above the 91st floor. Construction follows an average five-day floor cycle, supported by an estimated workforce of 5,200 people.

Work on the glass façades has begun on the 1km tall tower, which will feature luxury residential units, commercial spaces, a Four Seasons hotel and an observation deck offering views of Jeddah and the Red Sea.

Jeddah Tower Jeddah Economic Tower



The Jeddah Tower is set to be even taller than Burj Khalifa when complete (Credit: Jeddah Economic Company Tower)

It is anticipated that Jeddah Tower will be over 1,000 metres – or more than one kilometre in height. The main structure of the tower is expected to exceed 1.5 kilometres.

Jeddah Economic Company will fund the remaining Dhs6 billion through internal funding and banking facilities.

A statement by the company said: “The tower will be part of the first phase of 1.3 million square meters of the total area of Jeddah Economic Company City, which is approximately 5.3 million square meters.

“The infrastructure development for the entire first phase, spanning 1.3 million square meters, has been executed, containing essential amenities such as electricity, water, sewage, flood drainage, and high-speed internet connectivity.”

Construction is expected to be completed by 2028, so the Burj Khalifa has a while to enjoy being the top dog.

The Saudi project has been designed by Adrian Smith, the same American architect behind Burj Khalifa.


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