You’ve probably seen the photos. A lone, jagged concrete shard rising out of the desert sand near the Red Sea, surrounded by cranes that didn't move for years. For a long time, the Jeddah Tower—the building meant to be the first in human history to hit the one-kilometer mark—was basically a ghost. People called it a "white elephant" or a monument to stalled ambition.
But as of January 2026, the vibe has completely shifted.
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If you’re looking for the saudi arabia biggest building, the answer is actually a bit of a "it depends" situation. Are we talking about the one that’s currently standing and finished, or the giant currently waking up from a long nap? Honestly, most people confuse the two, or they think the Jeddah Tower is still a dead project. It isn't.
The King of the Skyline: Makkah Royal Clock Tower
Right now, if you want to stand next to the largest completed structure in the Kingdom, you’re headed to Mecca. The Makkah Royal Clock Tower (part of the Abraj Al Bait complex) is a beast.
It’s 601 meters tall. To put that in perspective, it’s nearly double the height of the Eiffel Tower.
What makes this building "big" isn't just the height, though. It’s the sheer mass. The floor area is roughly 1.5 million square meters. Most skyscrapers are skinny needles; this thing is a fortress. It has a clock face 43 meters in diameter. Big Ben looks like a wristwatch next to it.
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Quick Reality Check on the Clock Tower:
- The Cost: Roughly $15 billion. It's one of the most expensive buildings ever constructed.
- The Purpose: It’s a hotel and residential hub designed to house the millions of pilgrims who visit the Grand Mosque.
- The Controversy: Not everyone loves it. Some critics argue its massive, Vegas-style scale overshadows the spiritual humility of the Kaaba nearby.
The Resurgence of the Jeddah Tower
Here is where the "biggest building" conversation gets interesting. For years, the Jeddah Tower sat stuck at the 63rd floor. Construction stopped in 2018. It became a meme for failed megaprojects.
Then, in early 2025, the cranes started moving again.
As of this month, January 2026, the tower has officially crossed the 80-floor mark. Engineers from Thornton Tomasetti have confirmed that the pace is now "blistering," with new floors being added every few days. The goal is to reach over 1,000 meters—a full kilometer.
If they pull it off by the projected 2028 finish date, it will dwarf Dubai’s Burj Khalifa by at least 173 meters.
Why This Building Actually Matters Now
It’s easy to dismiss these as "ego projects," but there’s a massive economic shift happening. Saudi Arabia is trying to move away from oil. Basically, they need tourists.
The Jeddah Tower is the anchor for Jeddah Economic City, a $20 billion development. Think of it like a vertical city. You've got a Four Seasons hotel, "Class A" office spaces, and the world's highest observation deck. It’s designed to handle wind speeds that would snap a normal building in half, using a "three-petal" footprint that sheds wind like a ship’s hull cuts through water.
Engineering Madness You Didn't Know:
- Elevator Science: You can't use traditional steel cables for a 160-story building; they're too heavy. They’re using "UltraRope," a carbon-fiber tech that’s light enough to actually make the trip to the top without the cable snapping under its own weight.
- Pumpcrete: They are literally pumping liquid concrete hundreds of meters straight up into the air. At those heights, the temperature and pressure change how concrete sets. It’s a chemistry experiment on a massive scale.
- The Sway: At the top of a kilometer-high tower, the wind is terrifying. The building is designed to sway, but the tapered shape is meant to confuse the wind so it doesn't create a rhythmic vibration that could compromise the structure.
The "New" Rival: The Rise Tower
Wait, it gets crazier. While Jeddah is building a 1km tower, Riyadh just announced the Rise Tower.
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Rumors (and some early plans) suggest this one might aim for two kilometers.
If that happens, the Jeddah Tower might only hold the "biggest" title for a few years. It’s a literal arms race in the clouds. This is part of Saudi's "Vision 2030," where they are basically trying to out-build the rest of the world combined.
What This Means for Your Next Trip
If you’re visiting Saudi Arabia today, you can’t go inside the Jeddah Tower yet. It's a construction site. But you can see it from miles away, a massive tooth of steel and glass rising over the Red Sea coast.
For now, your best bet for a "mega-building" experience is still the Makkah Royal Clock Tower, but keep in mind that access to the immediate area around the Grand Mosque is restricted to Muslims. For everyone else, the Jeddah waterfront is the place to watch history being built.
Real-World Action Steps
If you're planning to track the progress or visit these sites, keep these points in mind:
- Jeddah Waterfront: The best views of the Jeddah Tower construction are from the new Jeddah Corniche. It’s a great spot for photography, especially at sunset when the light hits the glass.
- Check the Status: Construction is fast now, but these projects are sensitive to global economics. Always check the latest drone footage on YouTube (there are enthusiasts who post weekly updates) before making a dedicated trip just to see the progress.
- Respect the Rules: If you’re visiting Mecca, remember the religious significance and the entry requirements. For Jeddah, it’s much more laid back, but still a conservative city compared to Dubai.
The era of the "stalled" Saudi skyscraper is over. Whether it's the sheer mass of the Clock Tower or the record-breaking height of the Jeddah Tower, the Kingdom is currently the most active construction site on the planet.
Track the Progress: You can follow the official Jeddah Economic City updates for monthly milestones as they aim for the 100th floor by February 2026.
Compare the Heights: Use an architectural visualizer tool to see how the 1,000m Jeddah Tower stacks up against your local city’s tallest building—the scale is usually hard to believe until you see it side-by-side.