Stuff You Should Know Short Stuff: Jeddah Tower
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Mar 18, 2026 A race to build the world’s first kilometer-high skyscraper takes center stage. There’s daring architecture shaped to outsmart fierce winds, a sky terrace above the Red Sea, and a luxury megatower packed with hotels, offices, and homes. Politics, delays, and a dramatic restart add even more suspense to whether it will finally rise to full height.
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Saudi Arabia’s Bid For The First Kilometer High Tower
- Prince Alawid bin Talal aimed to top Dubai by building the first skyscraper over one kilometer tall in Jeddah.
- Chuck notes that would surpass the 2,717-foot Burj Khalifa and make the tower roughly twice the Twin Towers’ height.
Why Jeddah Tower Uses A Tapered Triangle Shape
- Adrian Smith designed Jeddah Tower as a tapered Y-shaped triangle because that form handles extreme wind more safely than a box.
- Josh says wind-tunnel testing showed it meets the wind better, while Chuck ties the look to palm leaves before they unfurl.
The Citibank Wind Scare Shows Skyscraper Risk
- Chuck brings up a 1995 New Yorker story about the Citibank building to show how small design errors can become existential at skyscraper scale.
- He says the engineer realized too late they had to shore it up before a hurricane hit.