Kuwait plans to build skyscraper more than a km high
According to the database of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, the Burj Khalifa may lose its title as the tallest building to the proposed Mubarak Al-Kabeer Tower, which is scheduled to be built in Kuwait City. The Mubarak Al-Kabeer Tower is planned to reach a height of 1,001 meters and feature 234 floors, though its completion date has not yet been announced.
However, Kuwait’s potential claim to host the world’s tallest building may be short-lived as Saudi Arabia plans to construct a two-kilometer high skyscraper north of Riyadh, which, when or if completed, will be the tallest building in the world.
According to Dezeen architecture and design magazine, the main architectural firm behind the Saudi proposal is Britain’s Foster + Partners. Currently, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the tallest building in the world, standing at 828 meters. This 163-storey building was completed in 2010.
The Merdeka Tower 118 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, ranks second, with a height of 679 meters and 118 floors, followed by the Shanghai Tower in Shanghai, China, at 632 meters and 128 floors. Data from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat show that Asia and the Middle East dominate the list of the world’s tallest buildings.
Among the top ten, only one skyscraper, the World Trade Center at 541 meters and 98 floors in New York City is located outside these two regions. China is particularly notable, with five of the world’s top ten tallest buildings.
The same database indicates that China leads with 1,148 buildings over 200 meters in height and 117 buildings exceeding 300 meters. Additionally, the database shows that Saudi Arabia has 26 skyscrapers over 200 meters and five exceeding 300 meters.
Outside the top 20, the United Kingdom has 43 skyscrapers, France 26, Germany 21, Bahrain 19, and Kuwait 18, ranking 21st, 24th, 26th, 27th, and 28th in the world respectively.
