The construction work at the world’s tallest tower at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is picking up pace and is set to reach the sixth floor by the end of 2016, said its developer Kingdom Holding Company (KHC).

The Kingdom Tower project, which will stand tall at more than 1000 m, is being built on an area of 85,000 sq m at a total cost of SR4.6 billion ($1.22 billion).

KHC chairman Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Alsaud, who visited the project site and The Kingdom City in Jeddah along with the board members of the Jeddah Economic Company (JEC), expressed satisfaction at the progress made in accordance with the project schedule.

He also lauded the efforts made by the project team to finalise works within the specified deadline while maintaining the highest standards of quality.

The Kingdom City and Kingdom Tower project will be a source of pride for the Saudi people and for the citizens of Jeddah in particular, he stated.

The master plan of the project is designed to build a city on an area of 5.3 million sq m supported by an advanced and comprehensive infrastructure.

"The main purpose of the project is to make available a unique business, residential and entertainment environment that provides top services for the new generation of Saudi citizens, and to be a must-visit business, entertainment, cultural, medical and educational landmark for visitors to Jeddah, as well as playing an important role in creating job opportunities for Saudi youth and contributing to fulfilling the increasing demand for residential units," he added.

Earlier this year, JEC had announced the arrival of the biggest and tallest custom-made cranes supplied by Germany’s Liebherr and Wolffkran.

The enormous yellow lifting devices, known as “climbing cranes,” are designed to accompany the Kingdom Tower’s growth both externally and internally, in the latter case utilizing any of the building’s 58 interior elevator shafts to make the climb.

The Kingdom Tower will have 58 high-speed elevators and the world’s fastest double-decker elevators that travel at 12 m per second.

The elevators are designed to produce energy while moving, which contributes to energy conservation and environment protection. In addition, the tower is equipped with other services that will make it an international landmark and a global icon of Saudi Arabia’s progress, success and achievements, said the statement from KHC.  

The Kingdom Tower will boast 170 storeys, of which seven will  be allocated for the five-star Four Seasons Hotel  that will offer 200 rooms and121 luxury serviced apartments, and seven storeys for offices.

The Tower will also have 61 storeys that will house 318 residential units of various types, along with amenities that include gyms, spas, cafes and restaurants, two sky lobbies and world’s highest observation decks, located at a height of 644 m, enabling visitors to view the city of Jeddah and the Red Sea from high in the sky.-TradeArabia News Service