The saying sky’s the limit is getting a whole new meaning owing to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund planning to build a 2 km tall skyscraper in Riyadh. The megatall tower that would cost an eye-watering $5 billion to build would dwarf not only the tallest buildings in America and Britain but also the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa (2720 feet) in Dubai. With a height of 6561 feet (2000 meters), the proposed tower will stand tall as part of an 18-square-kilometer planned development to the north of Riyadh.
According to a report published by Middle East business intelligence (MEED) magazine, a design competition with a participation fee of $1m is underway for the record-breaking tower. Eight firms have been invited to participate in the design competition. The stalwarts include US-based firms Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), Adrian Smith & Gordon Gill Architecture, Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), and Gensler; 10Design, which is part of France’s Egis; and Dubai-based Killa Design, responsible for the fantastic and award-winning Museum of the future.
The record-breaking skyscraper will someday be positioned just west of King Khalid International Airport, which is touted to become the largest in the world, rechristened King Salman International Airport.
Under the leadership of Mohammed Bin Salman, Saudi Arabia is experiencing a construction and Giga project boom with the King Salman Airport, The Red Sea project, Vision 2030’s centerpiece Neom, and The Line. The latest to join the ambitious lineup of attractions is this 2-kilometer megatall tower that would take roughly $5bn out of the ultra-rich $500 billion worth of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.
