King Salman International Airport, designed by Foster + Partners, is expected to be one of the world’s largest airports, covering an area of approximately 57 km2 and accommodating six parallel runways and the existing terminals named after King Khalid. Let’s take a look at other ambitious mega projects of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is experiencing a construction and megaproject boom, with numerous projects under construction: King Salman International Airport and NEOM’s mega projects including The Line, Trojena, Oxagon, and Sindalah. The primary designer of Kingdom Tower is Chicago-based architect Adrian Smith of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS + GG), the same architect who designed the Burj Khalifa. The tower is located on the north side of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, it is planned to be the first 1 km (3,281 ft) tall building.

On the other hand, the construction of Kingdom Tower, which is planned to be 1 kilometer high, is still ongoing and it is not known when it will be completed. The design competition is being run by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) which is chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. A design competition with a $1 million entry fee is currently underway, according to the report, citing sources close to the contest who also revealed that several of the world’s leading architecture firms have already been invited to participate. Middle East Business Intelligence (MEED) estimates the estimated cost is around $5 billion. The proposed tower will be taller than the current world’s tallest building – Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, which is 828 meters tall. Saudi Arabia plans to build the world’s tallest building, a 2-kilometer skyscraper, in Riyadh.

Petra smith tower