The One-Kilometer Dream: 7 Astonishing Facts About The Jeddah Tower (Formerly Kingdom Tower) And Its 2025 Reawakening

The dream of the world's first one-kilometer-high skyscraper is officially back on track. As of late December 2025, the Jeddah Tower, famously known by its original name the Kingdom Tower, is experiencing a dramatic and rapid acceleration in its construction, solidifying its place as the most ambitious building project on the planet. After a years-long pause that left the world wondering about its fate, the massive undertaking has not only resumed but is now soaring past previous milestones, making its estimated 2028 completion a tangible reality.

This monumental structure in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is not just a building; it is a symbol of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, a testament to engineering prowess, and a centerpiece for the entire Jeddah Economic City development. With work officially restarting in January 2025, the tower has already surpassed the 70th floor and is on a clear trajectory to break the 100-floor mark by the end of the year, signaling a new era for supertall architecture.

Jeddah Tower (Kingdom Tower) Biography and Profile

The Jeddah Tower is poised to shatter all existing records, becoming the first structure in human history to reach a height of one kilometer. This colossal project is the anchor of the Jeddah Economic City, a master-planned development designed to revitalize the city's northern region. The tower's design is a marvel of both aesthetics and structural engineering, conceived to withstand the immense forces at such extreme heights.

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• Official Name: Jeddah Tower
• Former Name: Kingdom Tower
• Location: Jeddah Economic City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
• Status (as of late 2025): Construction actively resumed and accelerating. Structure has surpassed 70 floors.
• Estimated Completion Date: 2028
• Architects: Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG)
• Developer: Jeddah Economic Company (JEC), backed by Kingdom Holding Company (KHC)
• Estimated Height: Over 1,000 meters (3,280 feet)
• Total Floors: 167 habitable floors, plus a sky terrace and spire.
• Total Built Area: 530,000 square meters (5.7 million square feet)
• Primary Function: Mixed-use (Luxury hotel, serviced apartments, office space, condominiums, and the world's highest observatory).

The 2025 Reawakening: Why Construction Resumed and Accelerated

The construction of the Jeddah Tower began in 2013, but the project came to a grinding halt in early 2018. This pause was primarily due to financial and logistical issues, including complications arising from the 2017 Saudi Arabian anti-corruption purge. For years, the partially completed concrete core stood as a silent monument, reaching approximately one-third of its planned height (around 60-70 floors at the time of the halt).

The pivotal moment came in January 2025 when the developer, Jeddah Economic Company (JEC), announced that construction had officially restarted. This major news, confirmed by the Kingdom Holding Company, was met with global excitement. The current acceleration is a clear indicator of renewed financial commitment and stability, aligning the project with Saudi Arabia’s ambitious economic and development goals under Vision 2030.

By mid-2025, the tower had already surpassed the 70th floor, with reports suggesting a goal of reaching the 100th floor by the end of the year. This rapid pace of development—a testament to the new construction plan—demonstrates a strong commitment to the 2028 completion deadline, which will finally dethrone the Burj Khalifa as the world’s tallest structure.

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Engineering Marvels: How the Jeddah Tower Will Reach 1,000 Meters

Building a kilometer-high skyscraper presents unprecedented engineering challenges, requiring innovative solutions to combat wind, gravity, and the extreme thermal expansion of materials. The design by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture addresses these issues with a groundbreaking structural system.

The Three-Petaled Design and Tapering Form

The tower's distinctive three-petaled, or Y-shaped, plan is crucial for its stability. This design helps to aerodynamically confuse the wind, preventing the formation of strong vortexes that could cause the building to sway excessively. The tower tapers as it rises, reducing the wind load at higher elevations and providing a continuously changing cross-section to minimize wind resistance. The shape is not just aesthetic; it is a fundamental element of its structural integrity.

The World's Highest Observatory

One of the most anticipated features is the massive circular sky terrace, originally intended as a helipad, located high up on one of the tower's three wings. This terrace will be repurposed as the world's highest observation deck, offering unparalleled, panoramic views of the Red Sea and the surrounding Jeddah Economic City. This feature is set to become a major global tourist attraction, enhancing the tower's economic value.

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High-Speed Elevator Technology

Vertical transportation is a major hurdle in supertall buildings. The Jeddah Tower will employ some of the fastest and most advanced double-decker elevators in the world, traveling at speeds of up to 10 meters per second. This system is essential to efficiently move residents, guests, and office workers through the tower's 167 floors without excessive wait times, a key consideration for the building's mixed-use functionality. The system will feature 59 elevators and 12 escalators in total.

Topical Authority and Key Entities Driving the Project

The successful and accelerated restart of the Jeddah Tower project is a collaborative effort involving several high-profile entities and individuals, giving the project significant topical authority in global real estate and engineering circles.

• Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG): The firm is renowned for designing the world's current tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. Their expertise in supertall structures is unmatched, making them the ideal choice for the kilometer-high challenge. Their involvement guarantees a design that is both iconic and structurally sound.
• Kingdom Holding Company (KHC): Led by Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, KHC is the primary financial backer and developer, demonstrating significant financial muscle and commitment to the project. The renewed focus signals strong private sector confidence in the Saudi market.
• Jeddah Economic City (JEC): The tower is the centerpiece of this massive 5.3 million square meter development. The JEC master plan includes residential areas, commercial space, and entertainment facilities, creating a fully integrated urban environment around the tower. The success of the tower is intrinsically linked to the success of the entire economic city.

The Jeddah Tower, or Kingdom Tower, represents more than just a record in height; it embodies a nation's forward-looking vision and the absolute limit of modern construction technology. With construction now rapidly progressing toward its 2028 completion, the world is watching as the dream of the first kilometer-high building transforms from a blueprint into a new, dominant reality on the global skyline.