Jeddah Tower Hits 80 Floors: Burj Khalifa Dethroned Soon?

Saudi Arabia’s ambition to reshape the global skyline is extending far beyond existing records, with plans for the futuristic Rise Tower in Riyadh an audacious project envisioned as the world’s first 2-kilometre-tall skyscraper. Still in the planning and design phase, the Rise Tower has already captured global attention as engineers and architects prepare to push the limits of what is structurally possible.

The Rise Tower, proposed as part of Riyadh’s North Pole District and backed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), completed its design finalisation between 2023 and 2024. As of late 2025, contractor bidding is underway, signalling a major step toward construction. If realised, the tower would stand at an unprecedented 2,000 metres, dwarfing both Dubai’s Burj Khalifa and Saudi Arabia’s own Jeddah Tower.

A tale of two Saudi supertalls-

While the Rise Tower remains on the drawing board, Jeddah Tower is already racing skyward. Construction on the long-delayed megaproject officially restarted in January 2025 after a prolonged halt. By December 2025, the tower had surpassed 69 floors, advancing at an accelerated pace of roughly one floor every four days, with glass panel installation underway and a second crane added to speed up progress.

Designed to reach more than 1,008 metres, Jeddah Tower is targeting completion in 2028 and is poised to become the world’s first building to exceed one kilometre in height. Its rapid progress has reignited global debate over whether Dubai’s Burj Khalifa will soon lose its long-held crown as the world’s tallest building.

Engineering ambition meets Vision 2030-

Together, Jeddah Tower and the proposed Rise Tower reflect Saudi Arabia’s broader Vision 2030 strategy using landmark infrastructure to drive economic diversification, global visibility and technological leadership. While Jeddah Tower represents a near-term reality, Rise Tower embodies a bold glimpse into the Kingdom’s future aspirations.

As of late 2025, engineers, developers and urban planners around the world are closely watching Saudi Arabia, where the challenge is no longer whether supertall buildings can be built but just how high humanity is willing to go.