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Up until recently, the Empire State Building held the title of being the tallest structure in the world. The Burj Khalifa is currently the tallest structure in the world, but in the future, someone might construct a building that is much taller. In fact, the world was supposed to have a taller building by this point in time. CNN reported on January 17, 2018, that the Jeddah Tower would soon be renowned as the world's next tallest building sprouting from the desert.
However, construction has subsequently ceased. Will Saudi Arabia's kilometer-tall Jeddah Tower ever be the world's tallest building? If it is ever finished, it will have an observation deck that is higher than any other in the world; at the moment, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest skyscraper and has the highest observation deck.
The Major Plans For The Future World's Tallest Tower
The Jeddah Tower is intended to serve as the focal point of the Jeddah Economic City, which is the first phase of a vast construction project that would culminate in the creation of a glittering tourist destination. Until recently, the ultraconservative monarchy of Saudi Arabia was off-limits to foreigners (but not to Muslims going on the hajj). These past few years have seen Saudi Arabia throw open its gates, making it possible for anybody to travel to what was formerly a fairly isolated monarchy.
The Jeddah Tower is planned to include a variety of residential and commercial spaces, including hotels, offices, and even some tourist attractions. Those who view photographs of the monstrous tower's incomplete construction will see nothing but desert today. However, once completed, the skyscraper would be the focal point of a dazzling new development. Here are some main details about this amazing project:
Proposed Height: First to conquer one kilometer (1,000 meters or 3,280 feet)
Old Name: Kingdom Tower
Location: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Architect: Ardian Smith, an American architect, designed the structure (who also designed the enormous Burj Khalifa)
Unique Features Of The Jeddah Tower
The observation deck atop the tower is intended to be the highest in the world and will be situated at the height of 2,178 feet (or 664 meters) above ground level. The tower will have more than 252 floors and will have a gross floor space of 2.6 Million Square Feet (243,866 Square Meters). It is intended to have a five-star hotel named Four Seasons Hotel, 97 associated serviced apartments, and four "residential tiers" that will contain a total of 325 apartments. Planned record heights for the elevators were 2,165 feet or 660 meters. It was intended for them to achieve a speed of 12.5 miles per hour and be able to transport guests from the lobby all the way up to the 157th floor in a mere 66.5 seconds.
A Tragic Construction Deadlock
When CNN viewed the location at the end of 2017, just prior to the publication of their piece, it had already risen to a height of 252 meters, which is equivalent to 826 feet, and already offered remarkably broad views of the desert country. However, sometime in January 2018, construction on the skyscraper was halted and has not continued since. Construction of the enormous tower has been halted as of the time of writing. According to reports, construction has come to a halt as a result of labor disputes and the political maneuverings that took place in Saudi Arabia between the years 2017 and 2019.
Two of the project's most influential backers, one of the richest Saudis, were arrested during the kingdom's anti-corruption purge. In spite of the fact that this information was already public knowledge when the CNN article was published in January 2018, the publication stated that the construction would be finished by the year 2020. After several days or weeks, the project halted. Since work on the building first began in 2013, there have been a number of setbacks that have plagued the endeavor. However, by the year 2017, it appeared as though all of the difficulties had been resolved, and everything was operating smoothly.
A Future With Doubts And Uncertainty
The subject of whether or not skyscrapers still have a place in the world's urban landscape was raised by the BBC in November 2021. They remark that China has placed restrictions on the development of extremely tall buildings, referring to them as "vanity projects." The BBC also reported that many workplaces throughout the world had large numbers of unoccupied desks. Having said that, eight of the world's 10 tallest skyscrapers are now under development in China.
At the time of this writing, there does not appear to be any new information regarding whether or not the construction of the Jeddah Tower will ever resume, or when it will resume if it does. It would appear that the initiative has become entangled in the political intrigue of the kingdom. Only time will tell how things turn out. However, the engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti, which is responsible for the project, appears to be sure that the tower will eventually be built.
SOURCES: CNN, Architizer, Dream Civil