The Tallest Buildings in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has one of the most beautiful skylines in Asia with their tallest structures ranking second in the Middle East. Other than Makkah Clock Royal and Abraj Al-Bait Hajar Towers which are in Mecca, all the other structures which are over 1,000 ft tall are in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. Currently, Riyadh has the third highest number of skyscrapers in the Middle East right behind Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Saudi Arabia has built about a hundred buildings since 2014.

Saudi Arabia's Tallest Buildings

1) Makkah Royal Clock Tower

The Makkah Royal Clock building is the tallest skyscraper in Saudi Arabia. It is one of the seven skyscrapers of Abraj Al-Bait which functions as a hotel. It is a government-owned building which was part of King Abdulaziz’s project of modernizing the city. Makkah Royal Clock is the 1,972 ft tall structure with the largest clock face in the world. It is the fifth-tallest freestanding and third-tallest skyscraper in the world. The tower is near the largest mosque in the world and the most sacred place for the Muslims. The tower was built by Saudi Binladin Group in 2004 and is the most expensive structure in the world whose total construction cost was about $15 billion. The building was opened in 2011 and is the second tallest structure in the Middle East with 120 floors. The second tallest tower of the Abraj Al-Bait is the 1,001 ft Hajar Tower which is the eighth tallest structure in the country.

2) Capital Market Authority Headquarters

The 1,591 ft tower is the tallest skyscraper in Riyadh and the second tallest in the country. Construction of the Capital Market Authority Headquarter began in 2010, and it was topped-out in 2014. Capital Market Authority Headquarters surpassed Burj Rafal and Kingdom Centre in 2014 becoming the tallest structure in the capital city. The total construction cost of the 76-story skyscraper was $1 billion. The Al Ra’idah Investment Company built the mixed-use structure in 2010.

3) Burj Rafal

Burj Rafal is a 1,273 ft tall hotel which is on King Fahad Road, near King Abdullah Financial District. The Burj Rafal improved the city’s skyline after its completion in 2014. Burj Rafal ranks among the tallest hotels in the world and is the highest residential structure in Riyadh. The total construction cost of the 70 story structure was about $320 million. The hotel has over 350 rooms.

4) KAFD World Trade Center

The 1,125 ft tall structure is in the King Abdullah Financial District in the capital city. KAFD World Center is the fourth tallest structure in the country. The skyscraper has 67 floors with over 1,500,000 sq ft of floor space. Gensler designed the KAFD World Trade Center. It is the second tallest structure in the massive King Abdullah Financial District.

Other Tall Buildings in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is home to the tallest skyscrapers in the Middle East and eight out of the ten towers in the country are over 1,000 ft high with The Headquarters Business Park ranking tenth. The 945 ft tall Headquarters Business Park is the tallest in Jeddah, and it has 52 floors. The Kingdom Centre is a 1,024 ft tall structure with about 99 levels. The 1,017 ft high Al Faisaliyah Center is a 30 story mixed use structure located in Riyadh. Al Faisaliyah Center is the fifth tallest structure in Riyadh and the sixth tallest in the country.