What’s On has details of plans for a new tower in Saudi Arabia that will stand over 150m higher than the Burj Khalifa

The Burj Khalifa is set to lose its crown as the world’s tallest building, as construction begins on a new skyscraper in Saudi Arabia.

The Kingdom Tower in Jeddah will stand at an astonishing 1,000m, more than 150m higher than the Burj Khalifa, which comes in at 829 metres.

The Saudi Arabia project will use 80,000 tons of steel and an estimated 200 floors, dwarfing the Burj’s 163 levels. Whereas visitors to the Burj Khalifa’s At The Top observation deck get incredible views 124 floors up, The Kingdom Tower’s observatory will offer views from the 157th floor. The Saudi Arabian tower will have 59 elevators sending visitors skyward, edging out the Burj’s score of 57.

The Kingdom Tower is expected to cost $1.2 billion, a shade under the Burj’s total bill of $1.5b. Construction is expected to take five years – one year quicker than Dubai’s tallest building.

This rival tower will be part of a new commercial and residential area in Saudi Arabia named Kingdom City, which is being built at a total cost of $13b on the coast overlooking the Red Sea.

Waleed Abdul Jaleel Batterjee, CEO of the Jeddah Economic Company said, “The vision of constructing the tallest tower in the world in Jeddah belongs to HRH Prince Al Waleed bin Talal. His vision is also that the project itself will set the world’s sights on our beloved Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and particularly on Jeddah.  Furthermore, the project will help create hundreds of jobs for our Saudi countrymen.”