From Burj to Rise: Saudi Arabia races to build history’s tallest skyscraper

Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh

Vertical City

At 2,000 meters and 678 floors, Rise Tower isn’t just tall — it’s a full city in the sky, with homes, offices, hotels, shops, and parks stacked above the clouds.

Costly Peak

With a projected $5 billion price tag, the Riyadh skyscraper may become one of the most expensive architectural experiments ever attempted.

Design Fusion

Wrapped in shimmering glass etched with Islamic patterns, the tower blends Saudi heritage with futuristic ambition — tradition meeting tomorrow in steel and light.

Sky Transport

The district around the tower will weave in air taxis, autonomous cars, and underground metro links, ensuring visitors move as seamlessly as the skyline itself.

Desert Tech

Sustainable by design, Rise Tower will rely on renewable energy, water recycling, and climate-control systems — innovations that could reshape hot-climate engineering worldwide.

District Anchor

Set inside Riyadh’s 306 sq km North Pole District, the tower will act as the beating heart of a smart city built for the mid-21st century.

Engineering Edge

Wind resistance, vertical transport, and material strength at this scale have never been attempted. The project could redefine skyscraper science forever.

Record Shatterer

Rise Tower would more than double the Burj Khalifa’s height, overtaking Jeddah Tower before it’s even finished, and cementing Saudi Arabia as the global capital of height.

Vision Symbol

Beyond architecture, the skyscraper is a statement of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 — positioning Riyadh as a global hub for tourism, innovation, and economic power.