JEC Tower: World's tallest building passes 100-storey milestone in Saudi Arabia

The world’s future tallest skyscraper has reached a significant construction milestone, with Saudi Arabia’s JEC Tower now rising to 102 storeys as it advances rapidly towards its planned height of more than one kilometre (0.62 miles).

The project had reached 69 storeys as recently as November last year, but construction has since accelerated sharply. The tower has now surpassed the 100-storey mark, placing it among only a small number of buildings worldwide to have reached this level of vertical development.

Designed by architects Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG), the tower is expected to comprise at least 157 floors upon completion. Once finished, it will stand well above Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, which currently holds the title of the world’s tallest building at 828 metres, and will be nearly twice the height of New York’s One World Trade Center, which rises to 541 metres.

Engineering complexity increases exponentially at such extreme heights. Structural engineers at Thornton Tomasetti, involved in the project’s delivery, have emphasised the importance of local construction expertise and materials.

“Concrete is king in the Middle East,” the firm noted, highlighting the decision to adopt a concrete-dominant structural system tailored to regional building practices and material strengths.

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The tower’s structural design has been described as highly efficient and streamlined, relying on interconnected load-bearing walls rather than conventional columns, outriggers or transfer beams. Each structural element is engineered to resist both wind and gravity forces, supporting rapid and practical construction at unprecedented scale.

At its base, the building will rest on a massive foundation system featuring a five-metre-thick raft slab supported by 270 bored piles, each 1.8 metres in diameter and extending to depths of up to 105 metres.

Formerly known as the Kingdom Tower and later the Jeddah Tower, the JEC Tower forms the centrepiece of a wider urban development in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah. Plans for the skyscraper include the world’s highest observation deck, alongside a luxury hotel, office space and high-end residential apartments.

The project is one of several so-called “gigaprojects” under Saudi Arabia’s broader strategy to diversify its economy and expand its tourism sector.

While some developments, including The Line and the Mukaab, have faced delays or redesigns, the JEC Tower appears to be progressing steadily after years of interruptions, signalling renewed momentum behind one of the Kingdom’s most ambitious architectural ventures.