Bidding for Saudi Arabia’s next skyline-defining ambition — Rise Tower — a 2-kilometre-high skyscraper planned for a new district in Riyadh has begun. If completed, it would become the tallest building in the world, towering over Dubai’s Burj Khalifa and surpassing the long-stalled Jeddah Tower. The call for bids covers not only the tower but also the broader development of the North Pole district, an entirely new precinct in the Saudi capital.
The proposed skyscraper will form the centrepiece of a new urban development dubbed the North Pole district in northern Riyadh.
Backed by the kingdom’s powerful Public Investment Fund (PIF), the tower is one of several high-profile construction projects under Vision 2030, a sweeping national initiative aimed at modernising the Saudi economy and reducing its reliance on oil.
According to the tender documents, UK-based architecture firm Foster + Partners has been tapped to lead the design of the Rise Tower, though few technical details of the structure have been released.
“This project is poised to usher in a remarkable transformation, redefining the region’s economic and social landscape,” said Mohammed Al Qahtani, CEO of Saudi Arabia Holding Co., in a statement.
“Anticipated to generate new job opportunities, attract foreign investments, and elevate living standards, this visionary project aims to elevate Riyadh’s global standing as a modern metropolis.”
In terms of scale, Rise Tower would measure more than twice the height of the Burj Khalifa (2,717 feet) and around four-and-a-half times the Empire State Building (1,250 feet), setting a new global benchmark for skyscraper construction. For context, the Jeddah Tower, also in Saudi Arabia and currently incomplete, is projected to reach 3,281 feet.
While the financial commitment required for the Rise Tower has not been disclosed, comparisons are instructive. The Burj Khalifa reportedly cost $1.5 billion, and the Jeddah Tower has a price tag of around $26 billion.
Given its extreme height and technical complexity, Rise Tower is expected to demand even greater investment.
At present, no construction consortium has been awarded the contract, and the timeline remains open-ended, though stakeholders are aiming to align the project’s delivery with the Vision 2030 milestone. If completed, the structure will redefine not just Riyadh’s skyline but global construction limits.
The announcement has triggered keen interest across the global construction and engineering community, particularly among firms with expertise in supertall building systems, vertical transportation, wind resistance, and seismic engineering.
