The Race To The Sky: 3 Saudi Arabian Skyscrapers That Will Redefine The World's Tallest Buildings (2025 Update)

The global skyscraper race has a new, undisputed leader: Saudi Arabia. As of late 2025, the Kingdom is not just building tall; it is constructing "megatall" structures designed to reach heights previously considered science fiction, firmly establishing its architectural ambition on the world stage. This building boom is a direct reflection of the nation’s transformative economic and social blueprint, Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the economy and create iconic urban centers that rival any in the world.

The current tallest completed building is an iconic religious and hospitality structure, but the headlines are now dominated by the dramatic restart of a project in Jeddah that promises to dethrone the Burj Khalifa. With construction on the Jeddah Tower accelerating rapidly throughout 2025, and a proposed 2-kilometer tower on the horizon in Riyadh, the Saudi skyline is undergoing a radical, rapid transformation.

The Current King: Makkah Royal Clock Tower (Abraj Al-Bait)

To understand the future of Saudi architecture, one must first look at its current record holder. For over a decade, the title of the tallest building in Saudi Arabia has belonged to the magnificent Makkah Royal Clock Tower, the centerpiece of the Abraj Al-Bait Complex in Mecca.

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A Monumental Structure at the Heart of Islam

The Makkah Royal Clock Tower is more than just a supertall skyscraper; it is an integral part of the King Abdulaziz Endowment Project, designed to provide luxurious accommodations and services for pilgrims visiting the Holy Kaaba and the Masjid al-Haram. Its sheer size and proximity to the holiest site in Islam make it a structure of profound spiritual and architectural significance.

• Location: Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
• Height: 601 meters (1,972 feet).
• Floors: 120+ stories.
• Completion Year: 2012.
• Architect: Dar Al-Handasah Shair & Partners and SL Rasch GmbH.
• Key Feature: It houses the world's largest clock face, visible from up to 30 kilometers away. The intricate engineering of the clock and its spire is an architectural marvel.

While the Makkah Royal Clock Tower is currently the fourth-tallest building in the world, its reign as the tallest in the Kingdom is drawing to a close as the nation's focus shifts from Mecca to the dynamic commercial centers of Jeddah and Riyadh.

The Future World Record Holder: Jeddah Tower (The One-Kilometer Skyscraper)

The true game-changer in the Saudi Arabian skyline is the Jeddah Tower, a project that has captivated the world's architectural community for years. Formerly known as the Kingdom Tower, this megatall skyscraper in Jeddah is not just aiming for the Saudi record—it is aiming to become the first structure in human history to reach a height of one kilometer.

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The Resumption of Construction (2025 Update)

After a significant pause in construction, the project has roared back to life with renewed vigor, driven by the momentum of the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative. The latest updates from late 2025 confirm a rapid acceleration in the building's progress.

• Status: Construction officially restarted in January 2025.
• Progress (Late 2025): The tower has reportedly reached between 69 and 78 floors, with plans to hit the 100th floor by the end of 2025.
• Planned Completion: The tower is now anticipated to be completed as early as 2028.

When completed, the Jeddah Tower will surpass the Burj Khalifa in Dubai by nearly 200 meters, making it the world's tallest building. The structure is the centerpiece of the Jeddah Economic City development, a mixed-use project intended to revitalize Jeddah's northern gateway.

Jeddah Tower: Design and Engineering Facts

The engineering challenges of building a one-kilometer-tall structure are immense. The design, however, is exceptionally elegant and functional, featuring a distinctive, three-pronged footprint that helps stabilize the structure against wind loads and provides multiple vantage points of the Red Sea.

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• Planned Height: Over 1,000 meters (3,280+ feet).
• Total Floors: 167 stories.
• Architect: Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG).
• Design Philosophy: Adrian Smith, who also designed the Burj Khalifa, utilized a "Y-shaped" plan to maximize residential and commercial space while minimizing wind resistance and core size.
• Record-Breaking Features: The tower will feature the world's highest observation deck and the world's fastest and highest double-decker elevators.

The construction restart is a major signal to the world that Saudi Arabia is serious about its place in the global economy, using architectural ambition to project national strength and attract international investment.

The Next Frontier: Megaprojects and the Riyadh Skyline

While Jeddah Tower is set to claim the world record, the capital, Riyadh, is simultaneously undergoing its own vertical transformation, fueled by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the goals of Vision 2030. The city's skyline is rapidly evolving with several supertall and proposed megatall buildings.

The Rise of Riyadh's Financial District

The King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) is the heart of Riyadh’s modern architectural boom, featuring dozens of high-rise structures. The current tallest completed building in Riyadh is a testament to this development:

• PIF Tower (Public Investment Fund Tower): Standing at 385 meters (1,263 feet), it is the tallest skyscraper in Riyadh. Located in KAFD, it symbolizes the Kingdom's economic power and is a key entity in the city's financial landscape.

The Unimaginable: The Proposed 2-Kilometer Rise Tower

Perhaps the most audacious project in Saudi Arabia's pipeline is the proposed Rise Tower in Riyadh. This project, if realized, would dwarf the Jeddah Tower and all other existing structures globally.

The Rise Tower is planned to be the first two-kilometer-tall building in the world, an unprecedented feat of engineering and ambition. While still in the conceptual and planning stages, its mere proposal highlights Saudi Arabia’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of architectural possibility. This project, alongside other giga-projects like NEOM and The Line, demonstrates the scope of the Kingdom's transformative Vision 2030, where the future is measured in kilometers, not just meters.

The competition between the current supertalls like the Makkah Royal Clock Tower, the soon-to-be megatall Jeddah Tower, and the conceptual Rise Tower illustrates a nation determined to lead the world in vertical construction. The rapid construction updates of 2025 confirm that Saudi Arabia’s skyline is not just changing—it is being completely revolutionized.