Ayman Hassan

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Work is picking up pace for the world’s tallest tower being constructed in Jeddah, and it is expected to reach 6th floor by the end of next month.



Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, chairman of Kingdom Holding Company (KHC), and board members of the Jeddah Economic Company (JEC) paid a visit to the location of the Kingdom Tower and the Kingdom City in Obhur, north Jeddah, to assess the work in progress.



Prince Alwaleed expressed satisfaction with the progress made in accordance with the project schedule and praised the efforts made by the project team to finalize work within the deadline while maintaining the highest standards of quality.



Talal Ibrahim Al-Maiman, executive director for development and domestic investments, chairman and CEO of Kingdom Real Estate Development Company (KRED), said work on the Kingdom Tower project, which will be the highest in the world at more than 1,000 meters and is being built on an 85,000 sq. meter area at a total cost of SR4.6 billion, is moving at an accelerated pace using the best and most advanced techniques.



The project will be a source of pride for the Saudi citizens, for the people of Jeddah in particular.



The master plan of the project is designed to build a city on an area of 5.3 million sq. meters supported by an advanced and comprehensive infrastructure.



The first phase of the project comprises 3.3 million sq. meters of modern multi-purpose buildings that will reposition the city of Jeddah on the international scene of modern regional cities.



The main purpose of the project is to make available a unique business, residential and entertainment environment that provides top services for the new generation of Saudis as well as a must-visit business, cultural and educational landmark for visitors to Jeddah.



Earlier this year, JEC announced the arrival of the biggest and tallest custom-made cranes supplied by Germany’s Liebherr & WolffKran. The enormous yellow lifting devices, known as “climbing cranes,” are designed to accompany the Kingdom Tower’s growth both externally and internally, in the latter case utilizing any of the building’s 65 interior elevator shafts to make the climb.



The Kingdom Tower will have 58 high-speed elevators and the world’s fastest double-decker elevators that travel at 12 meters a second. The elevators are designed to produce electricity while moving, which contributes to energy conservation and environment protection.



In addition, the tower is equipped with other services that will make it an international landmark and a global icon of Saudi Arabia’s progress and achievements.



The tower features 170 stories, seven stories of which will be allocated for the five-star Four Seasons Hotel offering 200 rooms and 121 luxury serviced apartments.



The Tower will also have 61 stories that include 318 housing units of various types, along with amenities that include gyms, spas, cafes and restaurants, two sky lobbies and the world’s highest observation decks. Located at a height of 644 meters, the observation decks enable visitors to view the city of Jeddah and the Red Sea from high in the sky.