W hen the 3,280-feet-tall (1,000-meter-tall) Jeddah Tower, in Saudi Arabia, opens in 2020, it will knock Dubai’s iconic Burj Khalifa off its throne as the tallest skyscraper in the world by 236 feet (72 meters).
Construction of the landmark is estimated to cost $1.4 billion.
When CNN visited the site at the end of 2017, the tower was 252 meters (826 feet) high and already had expansive views of the kingdom.
The tower will be the crown jewel of Jeddah Economic City, a commercial and residential project of 57 million square feet (5.3 million square meters), that will feature homes, hotels and offices, as well as tourist attractions.
But the project hasn’t been smooth sailing.
There have been various delays since construction began in 2013. Since November 2017, two of the project’s most prominent backers, Saudi Arabia’s Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, a prolific investor and businessman, and Bakr Bin Laden, chairman of Jeddah Tower’s construction company Bin Laden Group have been caught up in the kingdom’s anti-corruption purge, which saw hundreds questioned on accusations of corruption.
Jeddah Economic Company, the developer behind the skyscraper, however, has confirmed to CNN that the project will be completed by 2020, as scheduled.
Al-Waleed’s company declined to provide comment to CNN, while Bin Laden Group couldn’t be reached.
A global landmark
While today the site is surrounded by desert, upon completion the tower will be the center of the Jeddah Economic City development.
