Saudi megatower reaches 116 floors as completion shifts to late 2028 amid rising costs.
Dubai: Jeddah Tower has reached a height of around 466 metres, leaving approximately 362 metres to go before it surpasses Dubai’s Burj Khalifa to become the world’s tallest building. However, the project’s completion timeline has been pushed back by a few months, from August 2028 to late 2028.
Fabien Toscano, chief executive of Jeddah Economic Company (JEC), said the tower had reached its 116th floor as of September, taking the structure to around 466 metres. That leaves 41 of its planned 157 floors still to be completed.
Toscano provided the construction update while speaking at the Saudi Mega Projects 2026 summit in Riyadh, held from September 28 to 30. He also indicated that the expected completion date had shifted from August 2028 to towards the end of the year.
Set to rise above 1,000 metres
Dubai’s Burj Khalifa currently stands at 828 metres, making it the world’s tallest building. Jeddah Tower, meanwhile, is planned to reach an architectural height of approximately 1,008 metres.
Once completed, the Saudi megatower would stand around 180 metres taller than the Burj Khalifa, setting a new global height record.
Beyond their record-breaking heights, Jeddah Tower and the Burj Khalifa also share an architectural connection. Architect Adrian Smith was involved in the design of both skyscrapers, with Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture leading the design of Jeddah Tower.
The Saudi megatower has already surpassed another famous global landmark. At around 466 metres, it now stands taller than Malaysia’s 452-metre Petronas Towers, a milestone it crossed in early September.
Why the completion date moved
Rising costs are among the factors behind the revised completion timeline. Toscano pointed to increasing procurement and construction expenses as pressures facing contractors across Saudi Arabia and the wider region. Reports have also linked regional conflict to higher costs for Saudi contractors.
The timeline for apartment sales has also changed. Residential units in Jeddah Tower are now expected to go on sale in 2027, after a JEC executive had previously indicated that off-plan sales could begin in 2026.
How quickly Jeddah Tower is rising
Construction has accelerated significantly during 2026. The tower was reported to be approaching 80 floors in January, before structural engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti confirmed in April that it had reached 100 floors and a height of 400 metres.
In July, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal visited the construction site and confirmed that the tower had risen to 430 metres.
By September 2, the structure had reached 454 metres and 113 floors. The latest update puts Jeddah Tower at around 466 metres and 116 floors, representing an increase of approximately 12 metres and three floors in just a few weeks.
Construction above ground is no longer limited to the tower’s concrete structure. Installation of the glass façade has begun, while mechanical, electrical and plumbing works are also progressing.
Once completed, Jeddah Tower is expected to include luxury residences, commercial space, a Four Seasons hotel and an observation deck overlooking Jeddah and the Red Sea. The observation deck is planned to be the highest in the world.
A project that stalled and restarted
Jeddah Tower has faced a series of delays since it was first announced. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal unveiled the project in August 2011, with construction initially expected to take 36 months.
A financing agreement with Alinma Investment followed in November 2015, when the tower had reached 26 floors. At the time, the expected opening had already been pushed back to 2019.
Construction eventually stalled in 2018, when 63 of the planned 157 floors had been completed.
The project was revived in October 2024 after a six-year pause. At the time, Kingdom Holding, majority-owned by Prince Alwaleed, announced that Jeddah Economic Company had reached a 7.2 billion Saudi riyal agreement with Saudi Binladin Group, equivalent to about Dh7 billion ($1.9 billion).
JEC said the remaining project costs would be financed through a combination of internal resources and banking facilities, with construction resuming in January 2025.
What comes next
Several key milestones will determine whether Jeddah Tower remains on course for its revised completion target.
The structure still has 41 floors to add, while façade installation will need to advance alongside the main construction. JEC is also expected to begin apartment sales in 2027.
Dubai’s Burj Khalifa has held the title of the world’s tallest building since 2010. Jeddah Tower is expected to claim that record once completed, provided construction continues towards its targeted late-2028 completion.
