Archive · 6 Aug 2026
Saudi Arabia's JEC Tower crosses 100-floor mark, nears one-kilometre height
People in Saudi Arabia are building the tallest building in the whole world.
It is called JEC Tower.
When it is finished, it will be more than one kilometre tall, which is about 1,000 metres.
That would make it the first building ever to reach that height.
Right now the tower has more than 100 floors, and workers still have about 570 metres left to build.
A Saudi prince named Al Waleed bin Talal, whose company is leading the project, visited the site to check on progress.
The tower will have a big hotel, offices, homes, sky lounges, viewing decks and very fast elevators.
Engineers use special computer models and wind tests to make sure it can stand up to strong winds.
Construction started in 2013, paused for a while, and restarted in 2025.
If everything goes as planned, the tower will be finished in 2028.
Saudi Arabia's JEC Tower has crossed the 100-floor mark, joining an elite group of skyscrapers worldwide.
Around 570 metres of construction remain before the tower reaches its planned height of over one kilometre (3,280+ feet).
Saudi Prince Al Waleed bin Talal, chairman of Kingdom Holding Company, visited the site and confirmed steady progress after years of delays.
Designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, the mixed-use tower will include a 200-room luxury hotel, offices, residences, sky lobbies, observation decks and 59 high-speed elevators.
Construction began in 2013, stalled in 2018 due to financial and contractor-related challenges, was revived in 2025, and is expected to be completed in 2028.
- Who
- Saudi Prince Al Waleed bin Talal, chairman of Kingdom Holding Company, who visited the site and confirmed progress; the tower was designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, with engineering support from Thornton Tomasetti.
- What
- JEC Tower has crossed the 100-floor mark and, at over one kilometre tall, is set to become the world's tallest building — more than 170 metres taller than Burj Khalifa.
- When
- Construction began in 2013, stalled in 2018, was revived in 2025, and completion is expected in 2028.
- Where
- Saudi Arabia; the tower's observation decks overlook the Red Sea.
- Why
- To build the first human-made structure to surpass the 1,000-metre mark and become the tallest skyscraper ever built.
- Planned height
- Over 1 kilometre (3,280+ feet)
- Expected floors
- At least 157
- Current milestone
- Crossed 100 floors; ~570 metres of construction remaining
- Height vs Burj Khalifa
- More than 170 metres taller than the 828-metre Burj Khalifa
- Key facilities
- 200-room luxury hotel, premium offices, service apartments, residences, sky lobbies, observation decks, helicopter pad
- Elevators
- 59 high-speed elevators
- Design firm
- Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG)
- Timeline
- Started 2013; stalled 2018; revived 2025; expected completion 2028