Work on the Massive Jeddah Tower Resumes With Skanska and Samsung Taking Over Mega Project

Written by Bruno Teles

Published on 31/03/2025 at 15:17

Após anos de interrupção, a construção da Torre Jeddah, na Arábia Saudita, foi retomada e promete superar o Burj Khalifa como o edifício mais alto do mundo.

Be the first to react!

After A Long Period Of Stagnation, The Jeddah Tower Project, At Over 1 Km High, Was Resumed At The End Of September This Year. Renowned Companies Such As Swedish Skanska And The Korean Subsidiary Of Samsung Were Approached To Continue The Works. Even With The Restart, Experts Question Whether The Technical Challenge Of The World’s Tallest Tower Is Really Viable.

When The Jeddah Tower Construction Began In June 2013, The World Watched With Anticipation The Promise Of Erecting A Never-Before-Seen Building. At Over 1 Km Tall, The Tower In The Port City Of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Aims To Break The Record Of The Current Height Champion, The Burj Khalifa In Dubai.

After Years Of Interruption, And Growing Doubts About Its Viability, In September 2024 Various International Outlets Announced The Resumption Of The Project. The Swedish Giant Skanska And The Korean Subsidiary Of Samsung Engineering And Construction Would Be Among Those Responsible For Continuing The Operations Of This Mega Structure.

Technical Challenges Of The World’s Tallest Tower In Jeddah

Building A Skyscraper Over 1 Km Requires Overcoming Numerous Technical Challenges. Structural Stability, For Example, Becomes Critical As Height Increases, Amplifying Risks Such As Strong Winds And Pressure On The Building’s Base.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

The Crucial Issue Of Building Materials

Another Central Challenge For The Project Lies In The Selection And Transportation Of Materials. For Economic Reasons, Conventional Concrete Has Been Prioritized. Around 500,000 Cubic Meters Of Concrete And Almost 80,000 Tons Of Steel Will Be Used – An Amount Similar To Ten Entire Eiffel Towers.

However, Transporting Conventional Concrete Beyond 500 Meters Is Difficult. Therefore, Like The Burj Khalifa, The Upper Section Of The Jeddah Tower Will Be Built With Steel, Turning It Into An Ornamental Tower That Will Not Be Habited, Housing Technical Equipment.

Extreme Resistance To Strong Winds

The Force Of The Wind Is Another Decisive Factor, As The Structure Must Withstand Extreme Winds. Simulations Conducted By The Engineering Team Showed That The Top Of The Tower Could Oscillate Up To 2 Meters With Strong Winds, A Movement Considered Acceptable By Experts And Safe For Occupants.

The Jeddah Tower Will Feature The World’s Highest Observation Deck At 630 Meters. To Quickly Reach The Upper Floors, Elevators That Ascend In 98 Seconds Will Be Used. For This, An Innovative Technology Using Carbon Fiber Cables Was Chosen, Allowing It To Lift Up To 2 Tons, Something Impossible With Traditional Steel Cables Above 500 Meters In Height.

Energy Efficiency And Thermal Comfort In Saudi Arabia

Another Strategic Point For The Tower Is Climate Control. Given The High Local Temperature, The Building Will Have Strategically Designed Areas For Shade And Will Use Special Glass For Thermal Insulation, Significantly Reducing Energy Consumption For Air Conditioning.

Work on the Massive Jeddah Tower Resumes With Skanska and Samsung Taking Over Mega Project

Technical Challenges Of The World’s Tallest Tower In Jeddah

The Crucial Issue Of Building Materials

Extreme Resistance To Strong Winds

Energy Efficiency And Thermal Comfort In Saudi Arabia

Forget petroleum-based asphalt: a Scottish company transforms 684,000 plastic bottles into one kilometer of road that is 60% more resistant and up to 10 times more durable, and the technology has already started replacing traditional asphalt in more than 30 countries.

With billions in loans, China is rebuilding Nigeria’s railway network from scratch, abandoning the British colonial tracks that have turned to scrap and creating a corridor of over 1,300 km to take the load off the roads of Africa’s largest economy.

Australia prepares to dredge 96.5 million m³ in Moreton Bay to deepen, widen, and realign channels of the Port of Brisbane, in a project of up to 25 years designed to accommodate larger ships and enhance maritime safety and regional port efficiency.

Study solves great ancient mystery: remains of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, are identified in Vergina and resolves the enigma of the Macedonian royal tombs that had lasted half a century.

Larger than the Toyota Hilux and with a towing capacity of 3.5 tons, the new MG U9 2026 features a 2.5 turbodiesel engine, 520 Nm, 4×4 traction with three locks, and an almost full-size build.

Portugal installs two giant underwater sockets to draw water from the Atlantic and create a €107.9 million desalination plant in the Algarve capable of producing 43.2 million liters of potable water per day with ocean intake 2 km from the coast.

The International Space Station is 109 meters from end to end, orbits the Earth 16 times a day, and covers a distance equivalent to a round trip to the Moon in 24 hours; the orbital laboratory showcases the largest inhabited human structure ever assembled in space.

China enters a megaproject in Iraq to build a desalination plant capable of producing 1.1 million m³ of water per day, with giant tanks, 9 distribution stations, and 240 km of pipelines to supply potable water to the province of Basra.

Son of a Brazilian, a 20-year-old young man defies extreme pressure, wins the world rodeo championship, and takes home a million-dollar prize of nearly R$ 5 million.

Billionaire Anne Marie Werninghaus, heir to WEG with R$ 9.1 billion, inaugurated the a.marie store at Casarão Emmendörfer in Jaraguá do Sul.

The largest freshwater aquarium in the world is in Brazil, impressing with 5 million liters, 380 species, and will host a national congress that brings together specialists in biodiversity, animal conservation, and unprecedented research with more than 100 species bred in captivity.

Work on the Massive Jeddah Tower Resumes With Skanska and Samsung Taking Over Mega Project

Technical Challenges Of The World’s Tallest Tower In Jeddah

The Crucial Issue Of Building Materials

Extreme Resistance To Strong Winds

Energy Efficiency And Thermal Comfort In Saudi Arabia

Forget petroleum-based asphalt: a Scottish company transforms 684,000 plastic bottles into one kilometer of road that is 60% more resistant and up to 10 times more durable, and the technology has already started replacing traditional asphalt in more than 30 countries.

With billions in loans, China is rebuilding Nigeria’s railway network from scratch, abandoning the British colonial tracks that have turned to scrap and creating a corridor of over 1,300 km to take the load off the roads of Africa’s largest economy.

Australia prepares to dredge 96.5 million m³ in Moreton Bay to deepen, widen, and realign channels of the Port of Brisbane, in a project of up to 25 years designed to accommodate larger ships and enhance maritime safety and regional port efficiency.

Study solves great ancient mystery: remains of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, are identified in Vergina and resolves the enigma of the Macedonian royal tombs that had lasted half a century.

Larger than the Toyota Hilux and with a towing capacity of 3.5 tons, the new MG U9 2026 features a 2.5 turbodiesel engine, 520 Nm, 4×4 traction with three locks, and an almost full-size build.

Portugal installs two giant underwater sockets to draw water from the Atlantic and create a €107.9 million desalination plant in the Algarve capable of producing 43.2 million liters of potable water per day with ocean intake 2 km from the coast.

The largest marina in Southern Brazil invests R$ 100 million in a giant nautical shopping center with almost 40,000 m² and accelerates the transformation of Itajaí into one of the biggest maritime tourism powerhouses in the country.

South Africa created giant concrete blocks in the shape of a twisted “H” that reached 30 tons and became a global shield against destructive waves; dolosse were born after a storm devastated the port of East London in 1963 and today protect ports, beaches, and breakwaters on various continents.

Giant geotextile bags filled with sand have become flexible barriers against erosion in America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania; the technology replaces tons of concrete and rock with permeable tubes that dissipate waves and protect beaches, dunes, and riverbanks.

The largest bridge in Finland has just been inaugurated and cars simply cannot pass on it; only trams, bicycles, and pedestrians are allowed to cross the 1.2 km giant with a 135-meter pillar over the Baltic Sea.

A spaceship-shaped building that cost around 1 billion marks and was once the largest congress center in Europe has been abandoned in Berlin since 2014, and now the city is looking for someone willing to renovate and operate it for 99 years almost for free.

The International Space Station is 109 meters from end to end, orbits the Earth 16 times a day, and covers a distance equivalent to a round trip to the Moon in 24 hours; the orbital laboratory showcases the largest inhabited human structure ever assembled in space.

China enters a megaproject in Iraq to build a desalination plant capable of producing 1.1 million m³ of water per day, with giant tanks, 9 distribution stations, and 240 km of pipelines to supply potable water to the province of Basra.

Son of a Brazilian, a 20-year-old young man defies extreme pressure, wins the world rodeo championship, and takes home a million-dollar prize of nearly R$ 5 million.

Billionaire Anne Marie Werninghaus, heir to WEG with R$ 9.1 billion, inaugurated the a.marie store at Casarão Emmendörfer in Jaraguá do Sul.

The largest freshwater aquarium in the world is in Brazil, impressing with 5 million liters, 380 species, and will host a national congress that brings together specialists in biodiversity, animal conservation, and unprecedented research with more than 100 species bred in captivity.