01 September 2011

SAUDI billionaire businessman Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud is moving ahead with plans to build the world’s tallest tower in his country, nearly four years after the project’s inception.

Initially envisioned and unveiled in February 2008 as a mile-long or 1,600-m-high tower within a massive mixed-use development outside Jeddah, the Kingdom Tower has now been scaled down but will be at least a kilometre high when completed in a little over five years from now, according to reports.

The tower forms part of the $20-billion Kingdom City being built by the Jeddah Economic Company (JEC), an affiliate of Kingdom Holding Company (KHC), which is headed by Alwaleed.

The main $1.23-billion contract for the tower was awarded to Saudi Binladin Group (SBG) last month.

Kingdom Tower will be the centerpiece and the first construction phase of Kingdom City, JEC’s urban development of more than 5.3 million sq m of land in the north of Jeddah overlooking the Red Sea and Obhur Creek.

“Building this tower in Jeddah sends a financial and economic message that should not be ignored,” Prince Alwaleed said. “It has a political depth to it to tell the world that we Saudis invest in our country despite what is happening around us from events, turmoil and revolutions even.”

“The vision of constructing the tallest tower in the world in Jeddah belongs to Prince Alwaleed, who was closely involved in the selection of the scheme currently under design,” said Talal Al Maiman, a board member of JEC, which was formed in 2009 to develop Kingdom City.

“Kingdom Tower’s height is remarkable, obviously, but the building’s iconic status will not depend solely on that aspect. Its form is brilliantly sculpted, making it quite simply the most beautiful building in the world of any height,” continued Al Maiman, who also sits on KHC’s board.

Five contractors were invited to offer proposals for the tower and a shortlist of three firms submitted final offers for the tower’s construction. SBG, whose offer was the most attractive in terms of price, quality and schedule, was chosen for the project.

With a total construction area of over 500,000 sq m, the Kingdom Tower will feature a Four Seasons hotel, Four Seasons serviced apartments, first-class office space, luxury condominiums and an observatory that will be higher than the world’s current highest observation deck.

The overall estimated cost of the entire Kingdom City is anticipated to be SR75 billion ($20 billion). The first phase of the overall development comprises the tower, a 97,000-sq-m retail mall, and underground parking for more than 4,700 cars.

JEC’s partners are KHC, Abrar International Holding Company (owned by Samaual Bakhsh), prominent Jeddah businessmen Abdulrahman Hassan Sharbatly, and SBG.

Its assets total SR8.8 billion ($2.34 billion) including land valued at SR7.3 billion ($1.94 billion) and SR1.5 billion ($399 million) in cash contributed by SBG.

An interdisciplinary team led by Adrian Smith+Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG), based in Chicago, US, created the design of the tower. The team includes building services engineering consultant Environmental Systems Design (ESD), structural engineering consultant Thornton Tomasetti, engineer of three of the world’s top 10 tallest buildings, and Langham International.

JEC selected AS+GG after a lengthy competition process in which SOM, Pickard Chilton, Kohn Pedersen Fox, Pelli Clarke Pelli and Foster + Partners also participated.

The AS+GG design for Kingdom Tower has been in process since May 2009. Schematic design is complete and design development is under way. Foundation drawings are complete and the piling for the tower is currently being tendered.
The Kingdom Tower will contain 59 elevators, including 54 single-deck and five double-deck elevators, along with 12 escalators. Elevators serving the observatory will travel at a rate of 10 m per second in both directions.

The project will feature energy-efficient building systems that are organised vertically in accordance with occupancy and configured with the highest equipment standards.

ESD is providing mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection engineering, with the firm’s technology services group responsible for delivering integrated consulting services for teledata, audio/visual, security and acoustics. ­­­

The title of the tallest building in the world is currently held by the 828-m-high Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE, which was inaugurated in January last year.

• World’s tallest tower will debut ‘in 5 years’
• Langan tackles the tower's foundation
• Grand Mosque expands
• Update
• Hansgrohe reports record sales, earnings
• Islamic charity builds Makkah hotel
• Danube debuts in Salalah
• Qatar invites bids for $36bn metro
• Saudi contractor targets GCC expansion
• Saudi contracts surge to $22bn
• Qatar builds 82 mosques
• New boss takes reins at Doka Muscat
• Aramco goes ahead with $20bn plant
• Vinci in $537m Qatar job
• Saudi railway uses high-tech cables
• Makkah to build metro
• Semi-submerged resort ‘for Qatar’
• TAV JV to expand airport in Madinah
• DuPont highlights solutions
• Facade firm joins parent brand
• Lulu builds biggest mall in Oman

Tags

Regional News UAE Focus Events Diary BIM Focus Legally Bound Abu Dhabi Review Scandinavia and Mideast Partitions Concrete Technology Water Technology Chemicals in Construction Saudi Build Power Generation Just Out Tenders Green Focus

Gulf Construction is the undisputed leading trade journal for the building and construction industries of Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states. The magazine provides editorial coverage on a wide range of topics which are of interest to industry professionals. In addition, regular features highlight technological developments within specific industry fields. Launched 40 years ago, the magazine has established an enviable reputation as an authoritative, respected journal with unmatched coverage of the Gulf region. Gulf Construction is essential reading for anyone with a serious interest in the region’s building and construction industry.