Reaching For The Sky: Three Record-Breaking Skyscrapers In Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia now boasts some of the tallest buildings in the world. Three buildings in the region have broken records, but their construction has been met with criticism from the Arab world.

The Kingdom Tower

In April 2013, construction began on what will be the tallest structure in the world, the Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia. At 1000 metres tall it will be the first building to reach the 1 kilometre mark and heralds the dawn of a new class of super-tall buildings. Initially designed to be 1,600 metres (one mile) tall, the height was reduced when the geography of the area was deemed unsuitable. Once completed, it will still be significantly taller than any other skyscraper to date. It will be over twice as high as the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and nearly 3 times as high as New York’s Empire State Building.

Abraj Al-Bait Towers

Kingdom Centre

The second tallest building in Saudi Arabia is currently the Kingdom Centre in Riyadh, which opened in 2002. In stark contrast to the imposing architecture of the Abraj Al-Bait Towers, the Kingdom Centre’s elegant design won it the 2002 Emporis Skyscraper Award, selected as the ‘best new skyscraper of the year for design and functionality’. While huge constructions like the Kingdom Tower and the Abraj Al-Bait Towers have attracted criticism for being ostentatious or being relevant only to the global super-rich, the Saudi Royal Family and government have made bold moves to draw international attention. They hope that in the long run such developments will lead to financial success and help to diversify the nation’s economy, as well as to provide a sense of pride for its citizens. By Elspeth Black

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