Burj Khalifa's reign could soon end! Saudi Arabia's 107-floor mega tower hits a major milestone

Saudi Arabia's ambitious JEC Tower (formerly known as Jeddah Tower or Kingdom Tower) has reached another major construction milestone, moving significantly closer to overtaking Dubai's Burj Khalifa as the world's tallest building. The megaproject has now climbed to 107 floors and stands 430 metres (1,410 feet) tall, marking one of its fastest phases of construction since work resumed.

JEC Tower reaches 430 metres

According to the latest construction update, the tower has crossed the 100-floor mark, joining an elite group of skyscrapers worldwide. Around 570 metres of construction remain before the building reaches its planned height of over one kilometre, making it the first human-made structure to surpass the 1,000-metre mark.

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The latest progress was shared by Saudi Prince Al Waleed bin Talal, chairman of Kingdom Holding Company, who visited the site and confirmed that construction continues at a steady pace after years of delays.

Designed by the architect behind Burj Khalifa

JEC Tower has been designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG). Adrian Smith also designed Burj Khalifa, currently the world's tallest building at 828 metres.

Once completed, JEC Tower is expected to be:

• Over 1 kilometre (3,280+ feet) tall
• At least 157 floors
• More than 170 metres taller than Burj Khalifa
• Almost twice the height of One World Trade Centre in New York.

What will be inside the world's tallest tower?

The mixed-use skyscraper will house a range of luxury and commercial spaces, including:

• A 200-room luxury hotel
• Premium office spaces
• Service apartments
• High-end residences
• Multiple sky lobbies
• Observation decks offering panoramic Red Sea views
• A helicopter pad
• 59 high-speed elevators serve the tower's massive height.

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Engineering challenge

Building a structure over one kilometre high presents unprecedented engineering challenges. Engineers have had to address extreme wind loads, long-term structural movement and efficient material usage. Structural engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti said advanced computational modelling and extensive wind-tunnel testing have been critical in developing a system capable of supporting what is expected to become the world's tallest building.

Construction timeline

Construction of the tower began in 2013, but work stalled in 2018 due to financial issues and contractor-related challenges before being revived in 2025. Since construction resumed, progress has accelerated rapidly, with crews consistently adding new floors. If work continues as scheduled, JEC Tower is expected to be completed in 2028, becoming the tallest skyscraper ever built.