Ben Squires
International Travel

The new tallest building in the world

The title of the world’s tallest building, currently held by the 800 metre Burj Khalifa in Dubai, is set to change hands with funding secured for the last portion of The Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia.

When completed in 2018, The Jeddah Tower will extend roughly a full kilometre into the air. The $1.23 billion tower was designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture and when completed will have roughly 200 floors to be used for offices, apartments and a Four Seasons Hotel.

Construction up to the 26th floor has already been completed, but there’s still much more to be done. The design hasn’t been without its challenges, as well. The Jeddah Tower will overlook the Red Seas, with nearby salt water and high wind levels providing headaches for engineers.

That being said, we shouldn’t underestimate the size and scale of the current towers on this list.

World’s tallest buildings (in slideshow above):

9 & 10. The Petronas Twin Towers - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

8. International Commerce Centre - Hong Kong, China

7. World Financial Centre - Shanghai, China

6. Taipei 101 - Taipei, Taiwan

5. One World Trade Centre - NY, USA

4. Ping An International Finance Centre - Shenzhen, China

3. Abraj Al-Bait Clock Tower - Mecca, Saudi Arabia

2. Shanghai Tower - Shanghai, China

1. Burj Khalifa - Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Have you arranged your travel insurance yet? Tailor your cover to your needs and save money by not paying for things you don’t need. Click here to read more about Over60 Travel Insurance.

Related links:

10 best-value travel destinations for 2016

Top 10 countries to visit in 2016

The snow-capped mountain metropolis people never want to leave

Tags:
travel, International travel, Buildings, World Record