JEDDAH — The Jeddah Economic Company (JEC), owner and developer of the Kingdom Tower and City in Obhor north of Jeddah, has completed the raft piling works for what could be the tallest tower in the world rising to more than 1,000 meters on an 85,000 square meter land area at more than $1.5 billion.



The foundation and piling works, one of the most important and difficult stages of the project, took 12 months to complete, the JEC said.



The JEC seeks to achieve new world records using latest technologies for foundation works of high rise buildings. At least 270 piles were cast in the site reaching 105 meters below the natural ground level and with a diameter that vary between 1.5 – 1.8 meters.



The raft is considered one of the world’s largest one-piece reinforced steel foundations with thickness ranging between 4.5 – 5 meters. Both piles and raft are supported with anti-corrosion technologies to preserve the steel reinforcement, using a constant electric current system known as Cathodic Protection.



In addition, strain gauge instrumentation and load cells have been built in to detect any changes in the soil and provide continuous readings about any environmental changes to the area around the foundation. Finally, earthing and lightning prevention systems were installed into the raft piling foundation.



Mounib Hammoud, CEO of JEC, said the work on the Kingdom Tower is now above the ground and construction is moving at an accelerated pace and in accordance with the highest construction standards using the most advanced techniques.



“Some of the techniques have been specified, such as the use of a high strength concrete reaching Cylinder Compression of 85MPa. The reinforced steel used is deformed bars Grade 60 and up to 40 millimeters in diameter and with yield strength of 520 MPa,” he said.



“A further double height eight-full refuge floors that are fire resistance will be allocated throughout the Tower. The Kingdom Tower will be ahead of any other high rise building in the world with specifications surpassing what is usually required,” he added.



“The Tower will have 58 high-speed elevators including the double-decker high-speed elevators reaching a speed of 12 meters/second, in addition to other distinctive features making the Kingdom Tower an iconic landmark that will be a source of pride for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its people.” 



Hammoud also said that Saudi Arabia’s economic growth and prosperity make the Kingdom an important hub for local, regional and global investments.



JEC will emphasize this fact in order to make the Kingdom City a preferred destination for investors and ensure a prosperous future for generations of young Saudis by creating employment opportunities and providing an effective response to the growing demand for housing.



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

The Tower will also have 61 stories that include 318 housing units of various types, a gym, spa, cafes and restaurants, several sky lobbies and world’s highest observation floors located on the top floors 660-meter high enabling visitors to view the city of Jeddah from the sky.



Located on an area of more than 5.3 million square meters, the Kingdom City will provide a contemporary-lifestyle environment supported by an integrated advanced infrastructure. The City is designed to be a vital point for business and trade, as well as a tourist hotspot. The main objective of developing the Kingdom City is to provide a unique life, work and play environment offering residents and visitors elevated service levels. The city will significantly enhance Jeddah’s global status as a dynamic business, commercial, educational, medical and entertainment hub and will contribute to consolidating the sustainable growth of Jeddah’s real estate development. — SG