24 April 2014
Work on the Kingdom Tower in Jeddah is now above the ground and construction is moving at an accelerated pace, a top official announced on Wednesday.
"The tower will be ahead of any other high-rise building in the world with specifications surpassing what is usually required," said Mounib Hammoud, CEO of Jeddah Economic Company (JEC).
Jeddah Economic Company, owner and developer of the Kingdom Tower and City in Obhor, north of Jeddah, has completed the raft piling works and started the construction of the raft foundation for the tallest tower in the world rising to more than 1,000 meters and to be built on an area of 85,000 sqm at an estimated total cost of more than $1.5 billion.
The mega project will be completed in 2018, Hammoud said in his presentation during a press conference at the construction site.
He said the iconic Kingdom Tower and City will enhance Jeddah's global status and provide jobs for future generations.
"Despite government's strict labor policy, the mega project is not affected because Saudis constitute most of the staff. At the site, the construction is in full progress because it is up to the contractors to make arrangement of workers. So the project is not affected at all due to labor shortage and will make its deadline," Hammoud said.
"Once the project is ready it will create plenty of jobs for Saudis," he added.
The Kingdom Tower features 170 stories, which will have seven floors of offices, 200 hotel rooms that will require 2,000 people to support, 120 serviced apartments, 360 apartments and an observation floor located on the top floors 660-meter high, enabling visitors to view the city of Jeddah from the sky."
He added: "We are offering an environment for Saudi business starters."
Hammoud told Arab News: "The Kingdom Tower and City project is geared for Saudis, Saudi tourism, Saudi way of life, and nationals and religious visitors. Now, there is no destination for tourism in Arab world. Many people go to Dubai now, but once the project is ready they would like to stay in Saudi Arabia."
He said: "The Kingdom Tower, City will be a gateway to the holy cities. It is about creating right infrastructure for making Jeddah a major destination for tourism and business hub."
Karim R. Itani, head of sales and marketing at JEC, said: "We want to assure the project is happening. Once completed, it will act as a landmark to Jeddah as well as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."
"The Kingdom Tower will be an anchor point to the Kingdom City surrounding it," he said.
Hammoud added: "Some of the techniques have been specified, such as the use of a high strength concrete reaching cylinder compression of 85MPa. The reinforced steel used is deformed bars Grade 60 and up to 40 millimeters in diameter and with 520 MPa yield strength."
He said a further double height eight full refuge floors that are fire resistant will be allocated, every twenty floors, throughout the tower. The Kingdom Tower will be ahead of any other high-rise building in the world with specifications surpassing what is usually required.
The tower will have 58 high-speed elevators, including double-decker high-speed elevators reaching a speed of 12 meters/second, in addition to other distinctive features making the Kingdom Tower an iconic landmark that will be a source of pride for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its people.
Hammoud also stated that Saudi Arabia's economic growth and prosperity make the Kingdom an important hub for local, regional and global investments.
JEC stated that it will emphasize this fact in order to make the Kingdom City a preferred destination for investors and ensure a prosperous future for generations of young Saudis by creating employment opportunities and providing an effective response to the growing demand for housing.
Work on the Kingdom Tower in Jeddah is now above the ground and construction is moving at an accelerated pace, a top official announced on Wednesday.
"The tower will be ahead of any other high-rise building in the world with specifications surpassing what is usually required," said Mounib Hammoud, CEO of Jeddah Economic Company (JEC).
Jeddah Economic Company, owner and developer of the Kingdom Tower and City in Obhor, north of Jeddah, has completed the raft piling works and started the construction of the raft foundation for the tallest tower in the world rising to more than 1,000 meters and to be built on an area of 85,000 sqm at an estimated total cost of more than $1.5 billion.
The mega project will be completed in 2018, Hammoud said in his presentation during a press conference at the construction site.
He said the iconic Kingdom Tower and City will enhance Jeddah's global status and provide jobs for future generations.
"Despite government's strict labor policy, the mega project is not affected because Saudis constitute most of the staff. At the site, the construction is in full progress because it is up to the contractors to make arrangement of workers. So the project is not affected at all due to labor shortage and will make its deadline," Hammoud said.
"Once the project is ready it will create plenty of jobs for Saudis," he added.
The Kingdom Tower features 170 stories, which will have seven floors of offices, 200 hotel rooms that will require 2,000 people to support, 120 serviced apartments, 360 apartments and an observation floor located on the top floors 660-meter high, enabling visitors to view the city of Jeddah from the sky."
He added: "We are offering an environment for Saudi business starters."
Hammoud told Arab News: "The Kingdom Tower and City project is geared for Saudis, Saudi tourism, Saudi way of life, and nationals and religious visitors. Now, there is no destination for tourism in Arab world. Many people go to Dubai now, but once the project is ready they would like to stay in Saudi Arabia."
He said: "The Kingdom Tower, City will be a gateway to the holy cities. It is about creating right infrastructure for making Jeddah a major destination for tourism and business hub."
Karim R. Itani, head of sales and marketing at JEC, said: "We want to assure the project is happening. Once completed, it will act as a landmark to Jeddah as well as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."
"The Kingdom Tower will be an anchor point to the Kingdom City surrounding it," he said.
Hammoud added: "Some of the techniques have been specified, such as the use of a high strength concrete reaching cylinder compression of 85MPa. The reinforced steel used is deformed bars Grade 60 and up to 40 millimeters in diameter and with 520 MPa yield strength."
He said a further double height eight full refuge floors that are fire resistant will be allocated, every twenty floors, throughout the tower. The Kingdom Tower will be ahead of any other high-rise building in the world with specifications surpassing what is usually required.
The tower will have 58 high-speed elevators, including double-decker high-speed elevators reaching a speed of 12 meters/second, in addition to other distinctive features making the Kingdom Tower an iconic landmark that will be a source of pride for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its people.
Hammoud also stated that Saudi Arabia's economic growth and prosperity make the Kingdom an important hub for local, regional and global investments.
JEC stated that it will emphasize this fact in order to make the Kingdom City a preferred destination for investors and ensure a prosperous future for generations of young Saudis by creating employment opportunities and providing an effective response to the growing demand for housing.
© Arab News 2014
