Saudi Arabis is building the world's tall skyscraper - here's what it will look like

The tower is under construction in Jeddah, a port city in Saudi Arabia.

Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture designed the skyscraper, which will feature a pointy summit and over 200 floors.

Source: Business Insider

Inside, it will have restaurants, hotel rooms, apartments, and a shopping mall.

Essentially, the tower may serve as a mini-city.

The building's 157th floor will have the world's tallest observation deck. For perspective, the deck will rise 55 stories higher than the one at Manhattan's Freedom Tower.

The Jeddah Tower will cost Jeddah Economic Company and Alinma Investment — the two groups financing the project — roughly $2.2 billion.

Formerly called the Kingdom Tower, the Jeddah Tower will stretch around 563 feet taller then the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

In Basra, Iraq, architecture firm AMBS has proposed another skyscraper, called the Bride, that would be even taller than the Jeddah Tower. However, there are no definite plans to build it.

Source: The Guardian

As of February 2018, 60 floors are complete.

 

Kingdom Holding Company, the development firm behind Jeddah Economic City, is billing it as a city of the future. Designed by HOK Architects, the city will host energy efficient homes, shops, a transit system, and offices.

The city's construction will cost approximately $20 billion, stretch over two square miles, and open as early as 2026. The project is one of several ready-made cities that Saudi Arabia is building.

The developers hope that Jeddah Economic City will attract "investors, tourists, as well as business opportunities that will break global records, becoming the first of its kind in city life."

Source: Jeddah Economic City