Lead Master Planner appointed as Urban Architects of Kingdom Jeddah project

A two day workshop was held in October 2012 with Calthorpe and GAJ to finalize the scope of work and financial offers.

In 2012, Prince Alwaleed who initiated and has been the driving force behind the decision to build the world's tallest tower in Jeddah, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, announced the investment of SR1.5bn from the Saudi Bin Laden Group (SBG) for a 16.63% stake in Jeddah Economic Company (JEC), owner of the Jeddah mega project that includes the world's tallest tower (Kingdom Tower) with a height of over 1,000 meters with a total cost of SR4.6bn. The Kingdom Tower will be the centerpiece and the first construction phase of Kingdom City Jeddah. The overall estimated cost of the entire Kingdom City project is anticipated to be SR75bn ($20bn). JEC new urban development of more than 5.3 million sqm of land in the north of Jeddah overlooking the Red Sea and Obhur Creek. The partners of JEC are Kingdom Holding Company with a stake of 33.35%, SBG with a 16.63% stake, Abraar International Holding Company represented by Mr. Samaual Bakhsh, with a stake of 33.35%, and prominent Jeddah businessman Mr. Abdulrahman Hassan Sharbatly with a stake of 16.67%. The final license to construct the tower was formally received from the Jeddah municipality in February 2012.

Prince Alwaleed commented: "Jeddah tower is on a solid strategic execution path."

Eng. Talal Al Maiman. Executive Director, Development and Domestic Investments, Chairman and CEO of Kingdom Real Estate Development Company (KRED), a board member of KHC and Jeddah Economic Company (JEC) commented: "The careful strategic planning has paid off and the execution of the greatest Tallest building project in the world for the next years to come has started in the our beloved country Saudi Arabia, Our Country deserves no less than such a project."

Prince Alwaleed recently held the 3rd meeting in Jeddah with the Jeddah Project partners Mr. Saleh Bin Laden, Mr. Samaual Bakhsh and Mr. Abdulrahman Hassan Sharbatly.

During the meeting, Prince Alwaleed and the partners discussed the latest developments and progress being made with the mega Jeddah project. In addition, the piling contract with the value of SR152, 856,091m was awarded to Saudi Bauer under the supervision of Saudi Bin Laden Group (SBG), the main contractor.

"We are confident that upon completion, Kingdom Tower will become one of the world's great tourist destinations as well as one of the most attractive places to live and work in the region," Mr. Sharbatly and Mr. Bakhsh expressed in a joint statement. "In the meantime, we believe this project will create thousands of jobs, spurring the local economy."

Eng. Yahya Bin Laden said: "SBG will provide all necessary technical and logistic support to Saudi Bauer to successfully complete the piling phase."

An interdisciplinary team led by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG), based in Chicago, created the design of the Kingdom Tower. The team also included building services engineering consultants, Environmental Systems Design and structural engineering consultants, Thornton Tomasetti, engineer of three of the world's top 10 tallest buildings. JEC selected the AS+GG scheme after a lengthy competition process in which SOM, Pickard Chilton, Kohn Pedersen Fox, Pelli Clarke Pelli and Foster + Partners also participated. With a total construction area of over 500,000 square meters, the soaring Kingdom Tower will be a mixed-use building featuring a Four Seasons hotel, Four Seasons serviced apartments, first class office space, luxury condominiums and an observatory that will be higher than the world's current highest observation deck.