Construction has resumed on Jeddah Tower, formerly known as the Kingdom Tower, after a six year pause and corruption investigation
Upon completion, Jeddah Tower will measure 1km tall, suprassing the current record holder the Burj Khalifa by 180 m (591 ft). Architect Adrian Smith designed both structures.
Works came to a halt in 2018, when 63 of the 157 storeys were complete, after several parties involved in construction were arrested as part of the Saudi Arabian purge in 2017.
The owner of Kingdom Holding Co and the chairman of the Saudi Binladen Group, who own 33% and 17% of the building, were both arrested in the investigation led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The Jeddah Tower was formerly known as the Kingdom Tower
Originally due for completion in 2020, the Jeddah Tower is the centrepiece of the $20bn Jeddah Economic City development, a 5.3m sq m project.
Jeddah Economic Company, the lead developer on the scheme, has set a new completion date of 2028, a decade after the corruption investigation paused work.
Contractors Saudi Binladen Group have won a new contract worth 7.2bn riyal (US$1.9bn or £1.45bn) for work on the tower. Around 1.1bn riyal (US$2909m or £222m) has already been paid for completed works.
The resuming of works was announced on X
The chairman of the Kingdom Holding Company, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, announced on X that the Jeddah Tower was resuming work with the message “We’re back,” and a short video with visuals of the completed tower.
عدنا 🇸🇦
We’re back 🇸🇦 pic.twitter.com/M6WHOFzS51— الوليد بن طلال (@Alwaleed_Talal) October 2, 2024
