Twice as tall as the "Burj Khalifa": A 2-kilometer tower is planned in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has begun exploring the contractor market for a project to build a two-kilometer-high skyscraper north of Riyadh. If the plan is realized, the tower will be more than twice as tall as the 828-meter Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
Twice as high as the Burj Khalifa: A 2-kilometer tower is planned in Saudi Arabia
According to the MEED publication, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) has approached construction companies regarding this project. The process is being managed by the fund's subsidiary, Tower District Real Estate Development Company.
Experienced international contractors and several major Saudi construction companies have been involved in the market research phase. This stage is aimed at determining the capabilities and interest of potential executors in the project.
The two-kilometer tower will be the centerpiece of a new central business district planned to be built on the outskirts of Riyadh.
In June 2025, PIF accepted proposals from companies interested in providing project management and consulting services for this area. This contract includes managing both the construction of the tower and the process of creating the surrounding business district.
According to reports, invitations to participate in the tender for these services were sent to US companies Aecom, Jacobs, Parsons, and Turner, as well as the British company Mace.
The British bureau Foster & Partners was selected as the project's architect. The bureau won an international competition announced at the end of 2022.
The planned height is 2,000 meters. This is nearly 2.4 times higher than the height of the Burj Khalifa, which is considered the tallest building in the world. The tower is also expected to be significantly taller than the skyscraper under construction in the Saudi city of Jeddah, which is projected to exceed one kilometer in height.
According to estimates by contractors who previously assessed the costs of constructing supertall buildings in the region, building the two-kilometer tower could cost approximately $5 billion. The final cost will depend on the approved design solutions of the project.
The tower and its surrounding central business district are named Project Rise. It is part of the North Pole mega-development project in the north of Riyadh.
So far, the report does not specify exact deadlines for the start and completion of construction.