2-km high, Rs 41,500 crore: Saudi Arabia sets on building world’s insane new tallest building, Internet in awe

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has launched bids to build a supertall 2-km-high Rise Tower in its capital, Riyadh’s North Pole district, a futuristic zone prioritising vertical living and green energy.

Priced at USD 5 billion (approximately Rs 41,500 crore), the tower will dwarf Dubai’s 828-meter Burj Khalifa more than two times and even the under-construction 1-km Jeddah Tower. 

Design & Scale: Redefining Skylines

The Rise Tower will feature 678 floors with observation decks, luxury hotels, and metro connectivity. It will anchor the North Pole district, blending residential, commercial, and industrial zones with parks and schools.

At 3.5 times the height of New York’s One World Trade Center, the tower’s sheer scale has stunned architects. Foster + Partners, which also master planned the nearby King Khalid International Airport, won the design bid in 2022.

ALSO READ: After Ghibli, Barbie Box Chat GPT trend is here: Know how to turn yourself into an AI doll

Internet Erupts: Madness or Marvel?

Social media buzzes with awe and skepticism. “2-km tall? Saudi Arabia’s building a space elevator!” tweeted one. Others followed with “I don’t know if this will be a reality, but if yes, then it will be the highest feat of human engineering” and “Living in the clouds will now be an everyday thing”.

Others mocked with comments like “Will there be oxygen masks on the top floor?” and “This is a complete waste of funds”, while critics questioned priorities: “5 billion for a tower when the planet is burning?”

ALSO READ: KFC’s fried chicken toothpaste, not a prank, sparks mixed reactions online; everything to know

Race to the Clouds

If and when completed, the Rise Tower will join Saudi’s jaw-dropping projects like the cube-shaped Mukaab and the 170-km linear city, The Line. Meanwhile, Jeddah Tower’s construction resumed in January 2024, with a proposed height of 1 kilometer.