meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Jeddah Tower cements region’s status as global high rise capital

2 October 2024

 

> This package also includes: Contractor appointed to complete world's tallest tower

The appointment of Saudi Binladin Group (SBG) on 2 October to complete the 1,000-metre-plus-tall Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia will cement the region's status as the global high-rise capital. Dubai's Burj Khalifa has been the world's tallest tower since 2009, and the completion of Jeddah Tower will mean the region's run as home to the world's tallest building will continue for many more years. Here is a list of the region's tallest buildings:

1. Burj Khalifa, UAE

The construction of the world’s tallest skyscraper, Burj Khalifa, began in 2006 and reached its pinnacle in 2009.

The 829.8-metre-tall tower was developed by Dubai’s Emaar Properties and designed by US-based Skidmore Owings & Merrill.

Construction was led by a consortium of South Korea’s Samsung C&T, the local/Belgian Bel Hasa Six Construct and the local Arabtec Construction. The $875m main construction contract was awarded in December 2004.

The 163-storey tower took 22 million man-hours to build. Overall, the project cost about $1.5bn to complete. 

2. Mecca Royal Clock Tower, Saudi Arabia

The 601-metre-tall Mecca Royal Clock Tower is the landmark feature of the Abraj al-Bayt complex.

The development comprises seven towers overlooking the holy site of Kaaba, with a total built-up area of more than 1.4 million square metres and 15,000 apartments.

Saudi Binladin Group was the main contractor for the project.

The $800m contract for the clock tower was awarded in 2003 and the complex completed in 2012.

3. Marina 101, UAE

Marina 101 is the second-tallest building in Dubai.

Construction began in 2007 when Turkish contractor TAV was awarded the estimated AED800m ($218m) main contract.

The project involved building a 101-floor tower with a height of 425 metres and a total built-up area of 144,000 sq m.

The project has witnessed several setbacks over the years and remains unoccupied. The construction works were partially completed in 2017.

4. Princess Tower, UAE

Princess Tower is the second-tallest residential building in the world.

The 107-storey tower stands 413 metres tall and is located in Dubai Marina.

The project was announced in 2005 and the foundation works were completed in 2007.

The main contractor for the project was the Lebanese Arabian Construction Company.

The Princess Tower was the world’s tallest residential building from 2012 to 2015, when it was overtaken by 432 Park Avenue in New York City.

5. Al-Hamra Tower, Kuwait

The 80-floor Al-Hamra Tower is the tallest building in Kuwait and the 36th tallest in the world, at 412 metres. It was built by the local Ahmadiah Contracting & Trading Company. Construction works started in 2005 and were completed in 2011. The project was designed by US-based architectural firms Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Callison and the local Al-Jazirah Engineers & Consultants. 

6. 23 Marina, UAE

The 392-metre-tall 23 Marina is the fourth-tallest building in the UAE and the 40th tallest in the world. Dubai Civil Engineering constructed the 88-floor tower. The construction works started in 2005 and the project was completed in 2012. US-based KEO International and Indian Architect Hafeez Contractor designed the tower. 

Jeddah Tower restart is watershed moment

7. PIF Tower, Saudi Arabia

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) Tower is located within Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District. US-based HOK Architects, Canadian WSP, Hyder Consulting and the local Omrania Associates designed the 385-metre-tall, 80-storey tower. The construction works began in 2009 and were finally completed in 2022. Saudi Binladin Group was the main project contractor.

8. Iconic Tower, Egypt

The 385-metre-tall Iconic Tower is the centrepiece among the 20 buildings of the Central Business District in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital. The construction of this 80-storey tower started in 2019 when China State Construction Engineering Corporation was appointed as the main contractor. The construction works on Africa’s tallest skyscraper were completed in 2022. Lebanese engineering company Dar al-Handasah was the project consultant. 

9. Burj Mohammed bin Rashid, UAE

Completed in 2014, Abu Dhabi’s tallest building measures 381 metres and consists of 88 floors. The tower, part of the Abu Dhabi World Trade Centre, was announced in 2004. The construction works started in 2007 under the government’s redevelopment plan. The consultants involved in the development included Arup, Mott MacDonald, Foster & Partners, AtkinsRealis and Callison. Lebanese contractor Arabian Construction Company undertook the construction works.

10. Elite Residence, UAE

Dubai Marina’s Elite Residence, a 91-storey residential building, is the sixth-tallest building in the UAE. The 380-metre-tall tower was announced in 2006 and designed by Lebanese Khatib & Alami. The construction works began in 2007 when Arabian Construction Company was awarded the main construction contract. The tower has been operational since 2012.

SOON TO JOIN

GCC countries’ quest to build tall towers is not over yet. Several upcoming developments are likely to overthrow some of the tall towers on our list. These schemes include:

  • The North Pole, 2kms (Saudi Arabia)
  • Burj Azizi, 725 metres (UAE)
  • Pentominium Tower, 516 metres (UAE)
  • Burj Binghatti, 500+ metres (UAE)

Tallest towers in the world

Jeddah Tower image (top): Jeddah Economic Company

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/12641934/main.gif
Yasir Iqbal

Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Contractor appointed for Abu Dhabi Riviera residences

    1 July 2026

     

    Dubai-based real estate developer Mered has appointed Turkiye’s Sera Group as the main contractor for its Riviera Residences project on Al-Reem Island in Abu Dhabi.

    The development will comprise more than 400 one- to three-bedroom apartments and 11 villas.

    Lebanese engineering firm Dar Al-Handasah is the project consultant, while Switzerland’s Herzog & de Meuron is the architect.

    The enabling works are being carried out by local contractor NSCC International.

    Mered and Sera Group are also working together on the Iconic Tower project in Dubai Internet City, where the developer awarded the main contract in December 2024.

    The 67-storey tower is being built on a site covering about 6,368 square metres.

    Local firm Mirage is the project consultant, while Singapore-based Hirsch Bedner Associates is the project architect.

    Dubai-based Chawla Architectural & Consulting Engineers is the architect of record, and Omnium International is the quantity surveyor.

    The foundation works were carried out by local firm Dutch Foundations.

    Mered’s latest contract awards in the UAE market come amid heightened real estate and construction activity, with schemes worth more than $323bn at the execution or planning stages, according to UK-based analytics firm GlobalData.

    GlobalData forecasts that output from the UAE’s residential construction sector will grow by 3% in real terms in 2026-29, supported by infrastructure, energy and utilities developments, as well as residential construction projects.

    READ THE JULY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Stress test for Gulf aviation; Mixed performance as country outlooks diverge in the Levant; GCC tourism sector pivots from crisis to recovery mode.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the July 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17509888/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Siemens Energy to supply turbines for Oman IPP projects

    1 July 2026

    Germany’s Siemens Energy has announced it will supply power generation technology and long-term service agreements for the 2.6GW Misfah and Duqm independent power producer (IPP) projects in Oman.

    The scope includes the supply of six F-class gas turbines, six generators and 20-year long-term service agreements for the equipment.

    The combined-cycle gas-fired plants will add almost 20% to the sultanate’s electricity generation capacity. They are expected to provide electricity to more than two million people.

    Oman’s Nama Power & Water Procurement (Nama PWP) signed power-purchase agreements (PPAs) for the development and operation of the plants in January.

    The two combined-cycle gas turbine plants are being developed by a consortium comprising Korea Western Power (Kowepo), Qatar’s Nebras Power, the UAE’s Etihad Water & Electricity (EtihadWE) and Oman’s Bhawan Infrastructure Services.

    The Misfah IPP will be led by Nebras Power and located in Wilayat Bousher in Muscat Governorate, with a planned capacity of 1,600MW.

    The Duqm IPP will be led by Kowepo and located in Wilayat Duqm in Al-Wusta Governorate, with a capacity of 800MW.

    In May, MEED exclusively reported that a consortium of China-headquartered Shandong Electric Power Construction No. 3 Company (Sepco 3) and South Korea’s Doosan Enerbility had been appointed as the main contractor.

    The gas turbines will have hydrogen co-firing capability, providing flexibility to increase hydrogen use over time, Siemens said in a statement.

    The turbines will be manufactured at Siemens Energy’s facility in Berlin. The generators will be produced at the company’s plant in Muelheim, Germany.

    READ THE JULY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Stress test for Gulf aviation; Mixed performance as country outlooks diverge in the Levant; GCC tourism sector pivots from crisis to recovery mode.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the July 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17506190/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Qiddiya awards estimated $1bn racecourse deal

    1 July 2026

     

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Saudi gigaproject developer Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) has awarded an estimated SR4.3bn ($1.1bn) contract for the construction of a racecourse at Qiddiya entertainment city, on the outskirts of Riyadh.

    The contract was awarded to Taj Dhabi, a local subsidiary of UAE-based Trojan Construction.

    The racecourse venue will cover 1.3 million square metres and accommodate 70,000 spectators.

    QIC issued the tender for the construction works in December last year, but formally announced the project only on 10 February. Contractors submitted their bids on 15 February, MEED previously reported.

    According to a statement published on QIC’s website: “The venue will include the region’s first straight-mile turf course, alongside a 2.2 kilometre (km) main turf track and a 2.4km inner dirt track.

    “A 21,000-seat grandstand will anchor the venue, with the ability to expand capacity to up to 70,000 guests through event overlays during major race days,” the statement added.

    A centrepiece of the venue will be a 110-metre central parade ring, located in the middle of the racecourse.

    The project also includes an equine hospital that will provide advanced veterinary services, including diagnostics, surgery, rehabilitation and emergency care for horses.

    The Qiddiya City horse racing venue is one of several major projects within the greater Qiddiya development. Other projects include an e-games arena, the Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium, a motorsports track, a performing arts centre, the Dragon Ball and Six Flags theme parks, and Aquarabia.

    The project is a key part of Riyadh’s strategy to boost leisure tourism in the kingdom. According to GlobalData, leisure tourism in Saudi Arabia has experienced significant growth in recent years.

    GCC presses ahead with tourism projects

    READ THE JULY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Stress test for Gulf aviation; Mixed performance as country outlooks diverge in the Levant; GCC tourism sector pivots from crisis to recovery mode.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the July 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17506035/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • NCP seeks firms for Saudi Arabia university hospital PPP

    1 July 2026

    Saudi Arabia’s Umm Al-Qura University, in collaboration with the National Centre for Privatisation & PPP (NCP), has launched an expression of interest for the completion of the construction and operation of the Umm Al-Qura University Hospital in Mecca.

    Issued to contractors on 30 June, the notice has a submission deadline of 21 July.

    The scope includes completing the remaining construction works, as well as the subsequent operation of the hospital.

    Upon completion, the hospital will have a capacity of 391 beds.

    The project will be delivered as a public-private partnership (PPP) under a design, build, finance, operate and maintain model.

    The contract duration is 30 years.

    The project is the latest healthcare project to be procured on a PPP basis in the kingdom. In June, MEED reported that Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health and NCP had awarded a PPP contract for the operation and management of the Sabic Specialised Behavioural Healthcare Hospital in Riyadh.

    That contract was awarded to SEH Healthcare, a consortium comprising local firms Specialised Medical Company (SMC Healthcare) and Health Gates Complex, and Germany’s Dr Ebel Fachkliniken.

    In a filing with the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul), SMC Healthcare said the total estimated project value is about SR3.8bn ($1bn).

    In January, Saudi Arabia launched a national privatisation strategy aimed at mobilising $64bn in private sector capital by 2030.

    Building on the privatisation programme first introduced in 2018, the strategy focuses on unlocking state-owned assets for private investment and privatising selected government services.

    In a statement, NCP said the strategy comprises 147 opportunities drawn from a broader pipeline of more than 500 projects across 18 sectors.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17506381/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • On-site work starts for $5.4bn gas project in Algeria

    1 July 2026

    On-site work has started for the $5.4bn gas project in Algeria’s Illizi South block, days after a key meeting between Algeria’s Oil and Gas Minister Mohamed Arkab and the chief executive of the Saudi company Midad Energy, Sheikh Abdulelah Bin Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al-Aiban.

    The total investment of about $5.4bn will be fully financed by Midad Energy, including approximately $288m allocated to the exploration phase.

    It is being developed in partnership with Algeria’s national oil and gas company Sonatrach.

    Structured under Algeria’s Hydrocarbon Law No. 19-13, the agreement spans 30 years, with a 10-year extension option. It includes a seven-year exploration phase.

    The initial exploration phase is worth $288m and will involve 2D and 3D seismic exploration as well as drilling more than 13 appraisal wells, according to a report by the local news service Algerie360.

    The second phase, with an investment value of approximately $5.1bn, will involve drilling approximately 60 wells and constructing four natural gas compression units.

    The project is projected to produce a cumulative total of 125 billion cubic metres of natural gas and 204 million barrels of liquid hydrocarbons over 30 years.

    This will include 103 million barrels of liquefied petroleum gas and 101 million barrels of condensate.

    Midad Energy has also stated its intention to further expand its investment in Algeria’s oil and gas industry and explore new joint investment opportunities with Sonatrach.

    Algeria’s president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, signed a presidential decree ratifying the development agreement in March.

    Presidential Decree No. 26-113 was issued on 8 March 2026 and underpinned by Articles 91-7 and 141.

    It approved a contract signed in Algiers on 13 October 2025 between Sonatrach and Midad Energy.

    The contract granted both companies the rights to explore and exploit hydrocarbons in the Illizi South area. Algeria’s National Agency for the Valorisation of Hydrocarbon Resources (Alnaft) announced the contract award on 11 October 2025.

    The block is located about 100 kilometres south of In Amenas, which was raided by Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists in 2013, leading to a hostage crisis.

    READ THE JULY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Stress test for Gulf aviation; Mixed performance as country outlooks diverge in the Levant; GCC tourism sector pivots from crisis to recovery mode.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the July 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17505309/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp