Can a skyscraper really soar above the clouds? The Jeddah Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia is currently under construction. It anticipates breaking the world record for the world's tallest building, pushing Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the current record holder at a height of 2,722 feet. down to second. At a cost of 1.23 billion US dollars, the building is expected to be finished at a height of 3,307 feet, which just about doubles the height of the Empire State Building. The Jeddah Tower will become the centerpiece of Jeddah's economic city, which is located along the red sea.
If the building's construction is successful, it may literally touch the clouds depending on the weather. The building would be the first building in the world to reach the one-kilometer high mark. It was initially planned to be the first building to reach a mile height, but the geology alone proved that feat to be over-ambitious, for now at least.
The tower will be used for economic, commercial, residential, and industrial uses. It seeks to bring great changes in Jeddah's development and tourism, considering the fact that Jeddah is thought of as the most liberal city in Saudi Arabia.
The design was created by American architect Adrian Smith, who also designed the Burj Khalifa. The creator and leader of the project is Saudi Arabian Prince and Jeddah economic leader Al-Waleed bin Talal, who is considered the wealthiest man in the Middle East.
The proposal for the Jeddah Tower has been highly praised for being a culturally significant icon that will symbolize the nation's wealth and power, while others question its socioeconomic motives, and say that it will have negative financial consequences on the city.
The building is anticipated to be finished by 2020, but with the rate of construction rising, it may be finished sooner than expected.
