Saudi Arabia last month unveiled designs of an iconic kilometre-high tower which will compete with another proposed 1,000-m skyscraper in the UAE for the title of the tallest structure in the world.

The Kingdom Tower will be located within the Kingdom City development in Jeddah, which is being built by Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s Kingdom Holding Company (KHC).
Together, the entire development is expected to cost an estimated SR100 billion ($26.7 billion).  
The mega project was inaugurated by  Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah in the presence of Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz, Makkah governor Prince Khaled Alfaisal, Prince Alwaleed, and the mayor of Jeddah Adel Muhammad Faqih at an exhibition held in Jeddah last month. 
Organised by the city of Jeddah and sponsored by KHC, the exhibition, titled ‘Towards the First World’, showcased 16 projects currently under planning and development for Makkah and Jeddah.
KHC chairman Prince Alwaleed said that the two projects would place Saudi Arabia at the forefront of the First World while reinforcing KHC’s status as one of the world’s leading real estate developers.
KHC had built Riyadh’s second skyscraper – the Kingdom Tower – in 2003.
Located 20 km from the old city of Jeddah near King Abdulaziz International Airport, Kingdom City will cover encompass 7.1 sq km, 23 million sq m of which will be built with commercial, residential, institutional, educational, entertainment, retail and hotel facilities.
The focal point of the development will be the landmark Kingdom Tower.
When complete, Kingdom City is expected to house 80,000 residents and accommodate 250,000 visitors who will enjoy its facilities, which will include lakes, canals, water sports and other leisure activities.
Meanwhile, the Kingdom Tower’s timeless beauty derives from its simplicity and purity of form, according to the developer.
The tower will rise from a large retail and conference centre podium to over 1,000 m in height – the tallest building in the world – and include a five-star hotel, office space and luxury residences that encompass dramatic, sweeping views of the Red Sea, Obhur Creek and the mountains to the east. 
Essentially triangular in plan, the tower is conceived as a graceful, sculptural form that reflects not only the unique character of Jeddah but also the sky, water, and land from its taut glass skin.
KHC’s Jeddah skyscraper will be competing for the world’s tallest record with developer Nakheel’s proposed tower in Dubai which will also rise more than a kilometre high (see page 28).