Builder Pen: World's Tallest Tower: Arabian Race 2025 Update

Original Plan: The Jeddah Tower was originally set to reach 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) but was later revised to 1 kilometer (1,000 meters) due to geological and engineering constraints.
Completion Status: As of 2025, the Jeddah Tower is still under construction. While its groundbreaking began in 2013, progress has been significantly delayed, and it is unclear when the tower will be completed. The original 2020 target has long passed, with the project facing various financial and logistical issues, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these setbacks, construction continues, and it remains one of the most ambitious building projects in the world.

Original Plan: In 2016, Dubai announced a project for a tower taller than the Burj Khalifa. Its height was not disclosed but was expected to surpass the Burj Khalifa’s 828 meters. This tower was to be located in the Dubai Creek Harbour development area.
Current Status: The Dubai Creek Tower’s construction also began in the mid-2010s, with an anticipated completion date aligning with the Expo 2020 in Dubai. However, the Expo event, postponed to 2021-2022 due to the pandemic, did not coincide with the tower’s completion. As of 2025, the Dubai Creek Tower remains unfinished, with construction halted and no confirmed date for its completion. Like the Jeddah Tower, it has faced delays due to various reasons, including the global economic situation and the pandemic.

Event Timing: While Expo 2020 was originally planned for 2020, it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and took place between October 2021 and March 2022. It attracted a global audience, and Dubai capitalized on the event to showcase its infrastructure, including the Dubai Creek Harbour development. However, the event did not coincide with the completion of the Dubai Creek Tower, as originally envisioned in 2016.

As of today, Burj Khalifa remains the world’s tallest building, holding its title since its completion in 2010. While both the Jeddah Tower and the Dubai Creek Tower were intended to surpass it by 2020, they are still under construction, and no new buildings have overtaken the Burj Khalifa in height as of 2025.
The race to build the tallest structure is far from over. Both the Jeddah Tower and the Dubai Creek Tower continue to capture global attention, but the actual completion dates and their final heights are still uncertain.

Both of these towers symbolize the incredible ambitions of Saudi Arabia and the UAE to redefine global skylines and infrastructure. While the specific timeline has shifted, the potential impact on architecture, engineering, and urban development remains significant. The next decade could see these mega-structures rise to their full heights, marking a new era in construction and design.

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