Jeddah Tower passes 116th floor; developer's chief moves completion to late 2028
Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia has passed its 116th floor and about 466 to 474 metres. Gulf News reports its developer has pushed completion from August to late 2028, while Newsweek quotes an architect saying it is on track for August 2028.
1 / 2
The story, neutrally told
Centre · 1Jeddah Tower, planned to be the world's tallest building, reached its 116th floor as of September, according to Fabien Toscano, chief executive of Jeddah Economic Company (JEC), who put its height at around 466 metres. Gulf NewsN “Fabien Toscano, chief executive of Jeddah Economic Company (JEC), disclosed that the tower had reached its 116th floor as of Spetember, and stood at around 466 metres.” Read at Gulf News ↗ Centre · 1That leaves 41 of the 157 planned floors to be built; Toscano spoke at the Saudi Mega Projects 2026 summit in Riyadh, held from September 28 to 30. Gulf NewsN “That leaves 41 of the 157 planned floors to be built.”“Toscano was speaking at the Saudi Mega Projects 2026 summit in Riyadh, which ran from September 28 to 30.” Read at Gulf News ↗ Centre · 1Gulf News reports that Toscano moved the completion target from August 2028 to late 2028, and attributes the delay to rising procurement and construction costs, adding that reports also link the war in the Gulf to higher costs for Saudi contractors. Gulf NewsN “its completion date has been pushed by a couple of months to end 2028 from its earlier August completion.”“Reports also link the war in the Gulf to higher costs for Saudi contractors.” Read at Gulf News ↗
Centre · 1Tower apartments will go on sale in 2027, Gulf News reports, whereas a JEC executive had earlier said off-plan sales would start in 2026. Gulf NewsN “Tower apartments will go on sale in 2027. A JEC executive had earlier said off-plan sales would start in 2026.” Read at Gulf News ↗ Centre · 1Newsweek reports a separate milestone: Thornton Tomasetti managing principal John Peronto, project manager for the tower, told it the tower has surpassed Central Park Tower in New York, the tallest all-residential tower, at just over 472 metres, and is nearing 500 metres. NewsweekN “the Jeddah Tower has now surpassed the world’s tallest all-residential tower, Central Park Tower in New York City, and is nearing 500 meters”“The Central Park Tower is just over 472 meters (over 1,550 feet) tall.” Read at Newsweek ↗ Centre · 1Newsweek adds that Saudi Binladin Group senior executive project director Ian Norman Miller said on LinkedIn that the tower had reached around 474 metres, a slightly higher figure than the 466 metres Gulf News cites from JEC's chief executive. NewsweekN “the Jeddah Tower had reached a height of around 474 meters (around 1,555 feet)” Read at Newsweek ↗
Centre · 2Both outlets say the tower recently passed the 452-metre Petronas Towers in Malaysia, in early September according to Gulf News. Gulf NewsN “It now rises above the 452-metre Petronas Towers in Malaysia. That milestone came in early September.” Read at Gulf News ↗ NewsweekN “surpassing Malaysia’s Petronas Towers, which at 452 meters (around 1,483 feet) was once the world’s tallest building in 1998” Read at Newsweek ↗ Centre · 1On the schedule, Newsweek quotes Bob Forest, partner at architects AS+GG, saying last month that the tower is on track to meet its planned completion date of August 2028, which differs from the later date Gulf News attributes to JEC's chief executive. NewsweekN ““With the team’s dedication to the process, Jeddah Tower is on track to meet its planned completion date” of August 2028.” Read at Newsweek ↗ Centre · 2The tower is expected to exceed 1,000 metres; Gulf News gives a planned architectural height near 1,008 metres, about 180 metres more than the 828-metre Burj Khalifa, while Newsweek says the final height will be revealed upon completion. Gulf NewsN “Current construction data puts Jeddah Tower's planned architectural height near 1,008 metres.” Read at Gulf News ↗ NewsweekN “The final height of the Jeddah Tower will be revealed upon completion.” Read at Newsweek ↗
Centre · 2Gulf News reports that glass facade installation has begun, alongside mechanical, electrical and plumbing works, and Newsweek quotes Peronto saying steel erection for the 'sky terrace' observation level, around the 160th floor, will begin in 2027. Gulf NewsN “Glass facade installation has begun. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing works also continue.” Read at Gulf News ↗ NewsweekN ““Soon, in 2027, steel erection for the ‘sky terrace’ will also begin."” Read at Newsweek ↗ Centre · 1Gulf News recounts the project's history: announced by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal in August 2011 with a promised 36-month build, halted in 2018 with 63 of 157 floors complete, and restarted after a six-year gap following a 7.2 billion riyal agreement between JEC and Saudi Binladin Group, with work resuming in January 2025. Gulf NewsN “Prince Alwaleed first announced the project in August 2011 and promised a 36-month build.”“Work stopped in 2018 when only 63 of 157 floors stood complete.”“Work resumed in January 2025.” Read at Gulf News ↗ Centre · 1Newsweek also notes that the tower's architect Gordon Gill has said height is no longer the primary goal and that the future of architecture lies in rethinking existing buildings. NewsweekN “Gill said the future of architecture lies not in building higher but in rethinking what we already have.” Read at Newsweek ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre2 outlets
- Framing
- Gulf News leads with the schedule slip and its cost causes, with a detailed progress and history timeline; Newsweek leads with the height milestone over Central Park Tower, using engineer and architect quotes and a sustainability angle.
- Emphasis
- Gulf News: delay, costs, apartment sales in 2027, project history. Newsweek: engineering milestones, the next benchmark (Taipei 101), and architects' views.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Newsweek does not mention the completion delay to late 2028 and repeats the August 2028 target. Gulf News does not report the Central Park Tower milestone or the 474-metre figure.
- Charged language
- “record-breaking skyscraper”“megatower”
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Jeddah Tower is under construction in Saudi Arabia and is planned to become the world's tallest building, surpassing the Burj Khalifa.
- The tower has recently passed the 452-metre Petronas Towers.
- Adrian Smith is an architect of both the Jeddah Tower and the Burj Khalifa.
- Saudi Binladin Group is the contractor.
Where accounts differ
-
Completion date
- Centre
- Gulf News: JEC chief executive Toscano moved completion from August 2028 to late 2028. Newsweek: AS+GG partner Bob Forest said last month the tower is on track for August 2028.
-
Current height
- Centre
- Gulf News: about 466 metres (JEC chief executive, as of September). Newsweek: around 474 metres per a Saudi Binladin Group executive's LinkedIn post, and 'nearing 500 meters' per the project manager.
Jeddah Economic Company organisation
Through chief executive Fabien Toscano, JEC says the tower reached its 116th floor and that completion moves to late 2028 amid rising procurement and construction costs.
“Toscano pointed to rising procurement and construction costs among the pressures on contractors across the kingdom and wider region.” — Gulf News
Jeddah Tower other
Project engineer Peronto and architect Forest present the tower as progressing well, with Forest saying it is on track for August 2028.
““It has been an incredible achievement by the team to get to this point.”” — Newsweek
““With the team’s dedication to the process, Jeddah Tower is on track to meet its planned completion date” of August 2028.” — Newsweek
Middle East1 outlet
Gulf News places the tower in the context of Dubai's Burj Khalifa, Saudi mega-project costs and the Gulf war's effect on contractors.
“Reports also link the war in the Gulf to higher costs for Saudi contractors.” — Gulf News
Gulf News
North America1 outlet
Newsweek frames it as a record-height milestone against a New York skyscraper, with US adaptive-reuse data.
“surpassed the world’s tallest all-residential tower, Central Park Tower in New York City” — Newsweek
Newsweek
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre2 articles
-
Jeddah Tower crosses 116 floors, completion timeline moves
Neutral Business report on the schedule slip and its cost drivers, set against a long history of delays.
-
World’s Tallest Building Hits New Milestone, Passing NYC Skyscraper Record
Celebratory Milestone-focused piece built on quotes from the engineer and architects, with a sustainability aside.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 6 Oct 08:07 First Gulf NewsN Jeddah Tower crosses 116 floors, completion timeline moves
- 6 Oct 17:05 +8h 59m NewsweekN World’s Tallest Building Hits New Milestone, Passing NYC Skyscraper Record
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.