It should come as no surprise that the world's tallest building Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE, $1.5 billion also leads out list of the most expensive buildings in the Middle East. An elegant and slender beacon of Dubai's dynamic vision and future-forward thinking, the Burj Khalifa rises 828 meters above sea level. The crown jewel of the emirate's luxurious downtown development, it opened 2010 and has since held the record for the world's tallest building. Designed by a team led by Adrian Smith of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, it offers an unparalleled urban lifestyle, featuring luxury apartments, observation decks, and world-class amenities.
Instantly recognized the world over, thanks to its unique crown, Kingdom Centre Tower, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, $1.2 billion was designed by the team of US-based architecture studio Ellerbe Becket and Omrania, a Saudi design firm. The. $1.2 billion skyscraper is home to exclusive residences, a luxury mall and a Four Seasons hotel
Born from a 2003 competition that saw some of the biggest design firms in the running, Grand Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt, $1.03 billion complex was envisioned by the Irish firm Heneghan Peng Architects. Construction began in 2005, but the 2008 financial crisis, the Arab Spring in 2011 and the COVID-19 pandemic – pushed the Grand Egyptian Museum many years behind schedule and is set to openthis year.
Louvre Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE, $650million ++is designed by Jean Nouvel, the 260,000-square-foot complex covered by a tessellated roof cost approximately $650 million to build.Abu Dhabi paid an additional $520 million to be able to use the name ‘Louvre’ for 30 years, plus there is a $747 million fee for exchange for art loans, special exhibitions and guidance.
Inspired one of the Middle East's most mesmerising natural phenomena – the desert rose, a mineral composite where crystals take the shape of flower – this 430,000-square-foot National Museum of Qatar, Doha, Qatar, costing $434 million was designed by Jean Nouvel and is home to 11 permanent galleries.
These buildings are just many of the few that over and above the cost are examples of cutting-edge design & engineering, set to become tangible symbols of history in the making.
