Saudi Arabia’s Upcoming Tallest Building Will Make Burj Khalifa Look Like a Child
Saudi Arabia has announced plans to build Rise Tower, a 2,000-meter-tall skyscraper in the city of Riyadh.
When completed, the structure would become the tallest building in the world, surpassing Dubai’s Burj Khalifa and the under-construction Jeddah Tower by a considerable margin.
Project Background
The project was first reported in December 2022 by MEED, which noted that the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia was exploring a proposal for a skyscraper in northern Riyadh, near King Khalid International Airport.
The planned development area covers 18 square kilometers, with an estimated construction budget of $5 billion.
In August 2023, Mohammed al-Qahtani, CEO of Saudi Arabia Holding Company, formally revealed the designs of Rise Tower. The building will be part of the broader North Pole project, a planned 306-square-kilometer mixed-use development.
Design and Scale
Rise Tower is planned to reach a height of 2,000 meters (6,562 feet), significantly taller than both the 828-meter Burj Khalifa and the 1,000-meter Jeddah Tower. The skyscraper will have 678 floors, making it the tallest and one of the largest buildings ever proposed in terms of vertical scale.
The structure would stand 1,180 meters taller than the Burj Khalifa and nearly 1,000 meters taller than the Jeddah Tower, both of which have defined supertall architecture standards in recent years.
Context and Development Area
Rise Tower will be situated within the North Pole project area, which is part of Saudi Arabia’s ongoing plans for large-scale urban developments. The project location lies near existing infrastructure, including King Khalid International Airport, supporting future connectivity and development plans for Riyadh.
The Rise Tower announcement follows Saudi Arabia’s broader strategy of expanding its urban footprint and constructing large-scale real estate developments. The building’s extreme height will present numerous engineering, logistical, and planning challenges that will require innovative solutions.