When it comes to skyscrapers, few regions can compete with the GCC in terms of either height or volume.
The region is already home to the world’s tallest building, and is set to raise its own benchmark in 2018 with the completion of Saudi Arabia’s Kingdom Tower.
The UAE – and more specifically, Dubai – is the regional leader in terms of building upwards. The Emirates are home to seven of the top 10 tallest completed structures in the GCC. Nevertheless, there are plenty of behemoths across other parts of the Gulf, not to mention a significant number of high-rise projects in the pipeline.
For now, we’ll try to keep our feet on the ground and focus on the structures that have already reached completion So without further ado, check out Construction Week‘s list of tallest buildings in the GCC by country.
Abraj Al-Bait Towers (Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel)
Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Opened in 2012, the Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel is the tallest structure in Saudi Arabia at present. Indeed, at 601m in height, it’s the second-tallest structure in the GCC, almost 230m behind Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.
On a clear day, the building’s four clock faces – both the largest and highest in the world at 46m in diameter and more than 400m above the ground – can be seen from a distance of 25km. Above the main structure sits a 93m-long spire, which is itself topped by a 23m-high golden crescent.
The clock tower was built as part of the King Abdulaziz Endowment Project, an initiative designed to modernise the Holy City of Makkah to accommodate growing numbers of pilgrims. Saudi BinLadin Group (SBG) acted as both the developer and main contractor for the project.
Al Hamra Tower (Burj Alhamra)
Kuwait City, Kuwait
Kuwait City’s Al Hamra Tower took half a decade to complete, with construction beginning in 2006 and ending in 2011. The building cost approximately $500m (KWD151.25) to build, and at a height of 412.6m, it is the tallest structure in Kuwait by more than 100m.
Designed by architectural consultants, Skidmore, Owings & Merill (SOM), and Callison, the mixed-use development boasts 80 floors of office and retail facilities.
The main construction contract for the tower was awarded to Al Ahmadiah Contracting & Trading. Burj Alhamra made the final list for the 2012 Best Tall Building Middle East & Africa award.
Aspire Tower (The Torch Doha)
Doha, Qatar
At 300m in height, Aspire Tower – also known as The Torch Doha – is the tallest building in Qatar. Built as part of Doha’s Sport City athletic complex at an estimated cost of $150m (QAR546m), the tower acted as the centrepiece for the 2006 Asian Games.
The tower was designed by architect, Hadi Simaan, with detail work conducted by AREP-Etienne Tricaud and engineering work carried out by Arup. A joint venture between Midmac and Besix saw the project take shape within an impressive 21-month timeframe.
Although it was expected to lose its ‘Qatar’s tallest’ crown to Dubai Towers Doha in 2014, the on-hold, 437m skyscraper is yet to complete, meaning that Aspire Tower remains the tallest completed structure in the country.
Bahrain Financial Harbour (BHF)
Manama, Bahrain
Each measuring in at 260m in height, the Commercial East and Commercial West towers at Bahrain Financial Harbour (BHF) are the tallest that the country has to offer. Although the wider BHF development has been beset with delays, construction of the twin towers ended in 2009, and at 260m each, they are officially listed as the tallest completed structures in Bahrain.
With total cost estimates for the BFH development ranging from $1bn (BHD380m) and $3bn (BHD1.13bn), work at the project has been ongoing for over a decade. The twin towers and their accompanying mall aside, much of the project remains unfinished at best, and at worst, empty.
Nevertheless, the towers boast 53 floors, a 3380,000m2 floor area, and are designated primarily for commercial purposes. BHF was designed by AJ Architects, and the main contractor assigned to the development was Al Hamad Con Co.
Burj Khalifa
Dubai, UAE
Dubai’s Burj Khalifa has been the world’s tallest man-made structure since it took the crown from Taipei 101 in 2010. The 829.8m-high behemoth looks set to retain this title until at least 2018, when the kilometre-topping Kingdom Tower is scheduled to complete in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Construction of the tower began back at the beginning of 2004, and the exterior of the building was completed within five years. The estimated value of the world’s tallest structure is £1.5bn (AED5.51bn), but for that, you get 211 floors, 309,473m2 of floor space, and – what was until 2011 – the world’s highest observation deck at 452m.
Three main contractors joined forces to complete Burj Khalifa: Samsung C&T, Besix, and Arabtec. SOM was the architecture firm responsible for the design and engineering of the tower.
Muscat International Airport Control Tower
Muscat, Oman
Last and unfortunately least on CW’s list of tallest buildings in the GCC by country is Muscat International Airport Control Tower in Bahrain. At only 100m in height, this structure was never in any danger of challenging for the world’s tallest title; the Great Pyramid of Giza, constructed over 4,500 years ago, was almost 50m taller on its original completion.
To be fair, building tall has never been a priority in Oman. Instead, the Sultanate has taken the admirable decision to build more modestly-sized structures in a bid to preserve its historical architecture.
Nevertheless, built as part of the broader redevelopment of Muscat International Airport, and fully operational as of the beginning of this year, the control tower has – almost accidentally – become the tallest occupied structure in Oman.
