Saudis Set to Build Kingdom Tower, Soon to be The World's Tallest Building

Its time to put your bid in for your window washing company! WOW!

Being a Chicagoan, I love Smith and Gill's work. We know how to build 'em tall here. However this thing will end up just like the Burj. 95% empty. Slaves built Dubai, and slaves will build this, and no one will live in it. These things are monuments to ego. I wish S+G would stop designing towers for slave drivers.

I am sure the people got paid for building the towers in Dubai. Perhaps their pay was low. I really do not know what they got paid, do you really know? And if it was built for sure ego, at least the local people made a living for a while. Mean while USA jobs go overseas.

People were lured to Dubai with the promise of work. Upon getting to Dubai, their passports were confiscated and they were told that they would get them back when they paid back the cost of their trip from where ever to Dubai, they also had to live in camps set up specifically for the workers, because who wants to look at slave labor while they shop at mega malls. They were charged rent by their employers to live at these camps, which was also taken out of their paychecks. This has been well documented and easily found via Google. Low pay indeed.

Thank you for you additional clarity. Now other PoPSci readers can investigate this too.

It breaks my heart to see this......Skyscraper age in America ends with 3000 deaths and destruction, and there it begins with world records.....and if it weren't enough, there is a Bin Laden group company involved.....outrageous....What the hell are you doing America?

Why haven't we built anything like this before and how the hell can they do it for only 1.3 billion when it costs Congress 500 million to make an office!

1.3 billion the observation deck only..........

I'm not the only one who pines for the return of an era where America made things of this stature that impressed the masses and inspired the nation. Nevertheless, of the countries I'd want to live in, Saudi Arabia is definitely among the last. This is not a monument for its people, but a monument for the money and attention of wealthy foreigners. I'll be impressed by Saudi Arabia when their women are allowed to drive cars.

Well the bin ladens are doing well, come to think of it the saudis are , and the bush's while americas economy is in the toilet, and by extension the rest of the world as well. On the plus side after the arab spring rolls though the whole middle east the locals will have some prime real estate to rent.

Believe you will love it.

We have good reputation, fashion products,

come here quickly== http://www.jordanforworld.com

Opportunity knocks but once

Well, seems like a good use for the US oil purchases, especially by someone named Bin Laden. Someday maybe we can drill again too, if we can afford it. I guess Osama won!

One thing that some of the science and engineering minded people in the U.S. can still feel good about is the pioneering spirit that still can be found in the private space industry… Bigelow Aerospace and the concept for the new generation of space stations:

www.bigelowaerospace.com/

Virgin Galactic and Space X.

Even if the government in Washington continues to behave indecisive and directionless at least these people have some vision and goals.

USA addition to oil forces us to buy oil overseas. Countries overseas take our money and grow and our economy shrinks. Egos in Easter countries are free to build all their dreams with our USA dollar support. The USA people could change this situation; we do make the choice of where we spend our money. Still as many may point out solar energy in not as effecient as oil. It takes USA installers and USA local technicians for solar producting fields. The same is true for wind farms. The dollars spent for these energy technologies stays in USA and it creates USA jobs. A company that invented and is selling in USA fuel cell technology, BLOOM.com. Companies that are currently buying bloom energy are Walmart, Staples AT&T, CocaCola, Adobe, Firemans Fund, Ebay, Google, Sharks Ice, FedEx, Bank of America, The Ratkovich Company, Safeway, SimCenter, Caltech, Cyprerss,Cox, Kaiser Permanente. As this infrastructure of NEW technology is being installed we are making USA free-er and creating more jobs. We need USA dollars to be spend in USA!

"USA addiction to oil forces us to buy oil overseas...."....

.. Of course I buy my gas at the local station like you too. The way we change were our money is spent is to force our government leaders to buy locally and not put all our USA dollars overseas. Invest in USA!

"For reference, the Burj peaks at just above 2,700 feet."
---
When you will finally start using the metric system (like the rest of the world)? These "feet" sound so ridiculous - like someone walked on the building and counted his footsteps...

Well I hope they've solved the elevator problem. I wouldn't want to walk up or down that many steps.

If you are wondering, the elevators limit the use of tall buildings like these and Dubai recently had a problem with theirs.

Wondering how it would make Americans feel when staying at the place to know Bin Laden group had hands in building this.
This thing could have a timer waiting to explode. who knows... A G20 summit maybe in 2020....?!

It's a Bespin Landing Pad!

Additionally, I'm not a base jumper, but after seeing the photo gallery for this one, I could be.

Nouveau riche. The Saudi's officially have more money than they know what to do with. You're welcome by the way...

Well, at least they aren't making bombs.

Not saying it SHOULD happen... but it would be ironic to see this tower taken down the way our towers were taken down. The middle eastern style of law is an eye for an eye after all... it would be fitting.

Not advocating violence... just pointing out the potential irony.

Playing Devil's Advocate since 1978

"The only constant in the universe is change"
-Heraclitus of Ephesus 535 BC - 475 BC

Idiots. The Burj Khalifa isn't even close to being fully occupied and they keep slashing rent..up to 50%.

Please raise the price of oil to $180/ barrel and let thousands of our troops and civilians die to make this happen! Next campaign slogan should be. "AN ELECTRIC CAR IN EVERY GARAGE AND NUCLEAR AND SOLAR POWER FOR ALL"!! These guys are not our allies. This is just another Bin Laden slap in the face using our own greed against us.

yeah its big but how does it compare to the central spire of Atlantis? pppfffftttt!!! Does it house a startgate? no?! not impressive. lmao

Why not a mile high building in mile high Denver so we can call it the two miler or something neat. Naw, the chinooks would blow it over ha. (they sometimes get up to 150 mph the highest ever recorded in Boulder was 153 mph).

Wow! 3,281 feet of gleaming steel and glass!

Looks like it should be located in Coruscant.

- www.robots-and-androids.com

@gizmowiz... might want to check again, fastest wind speed ever recorded was quite a bit faster than that... and it wasn't in the US.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_speed

Playing Devil's Advocate since 1978

"The only constant in the universe is change"
-Heraclitus of Ephesus 535 BC - 475 BC

Rather on making this building, what if they spent all that money on making their desert bloom?

Do you people realize that Bin Laden is as popular a surname as Smith, or something along those lines is in US, not every one named Bin Laden is a bad person, These Surnames are ancient and have huge and far reaching family trees. Its like having a bad uncle in your family, just because he carries the same last name doesn't make you a bad person does it? BTWs i'm not supporting Osama Bin Laden, i just don't like missplaced anger.

@ianredneck, I understand your comment and potential concern, however, when the name "Bin Laden" is framed as "A certain Bin Laden Company" it's pretty clear that it's directed at Osama. And in a 2 second net search, the building is in fact being built by Osama Bin Laden's Family owned Saudi construction firm, Called "The Bin Laden Group" which was founded by Osama's Father in 1931.

"Bin Laden Group was founded in 1931 by Sheikh Sayyid Mohammed bin Laden. He had over 22 wives and 53 children, among them Osama Bin Laden."

The Bin Laden family also notes that they disowned Osama. But it's still being funded by the same blood lines, it's not just some random "Smith" as you put it.

And to give you an idea of the weight the name has been given, you don't see anyone with the last name of "Hitler" now do you, even thought that surname had a large tree as well, Hell you can't even name a kid "Adolph" anymore, and that name was HUGE for a while, was the name of a saint even, and means "Noble Majestic Wolf", not anymore. It is sad, but one bad apple does spoil the bunch in these cases.
Playing Devil's Advocate since 1978

"The only constant in the universe is change"
-Heraclitus of Ephesus 535 BC - 475 BC

I'm not agreeing/disagreeing with anyone so please don't think I'm replying to anyone in particular - I'm not. I am replying to a the theme in general though.

Osama was disowned by his family back in '94, well before 9/11. To that point, I think we should be happy for the bin Laden family for achieving something so great despite the huge disadvantage of being related to Osama - whom they despised enough to disown. Putting myself in their shoes, I wouldn't want people to equate me to my brother if he were to commit a serious crime, act of terror or even a misdemeanor. It wouldn't be fair to me at all.

That's going to sound like sacrilege to some people - and for those people we'll just have to agree to disagree. But to everyone else, I want to make sure you're not taking me the wrong way. I would've loved to have been the guy to... let's just say, to be the one to "bring him to justice". But my hatred is directed at him and his band of misfits only.

I just felt like this needed to be said.

@ robotbetty9

That 5th image made me think about that too!

If every american gave 133 dollars, the sum you would come up is 40 billion dollars.....now, if that thing cost 20 billion, i guess the labour non slave costs in the U.S would make it that more expensive,,,,just a guess.

And I am serious, why not collect that money...and then, when the thing is done....you put the homeless in there, 2, you regain the title back, 3....It would be awesome...and 4. the jobs that go with it....

It might sound crazy.....but actually it's not....

U just need a guy that 'makes the case' a group of people who 'dont abuse with the money' and then done.....

I would give 133.333 dollars for that.....

(not that there arent better uses for that money...but at least this once....)

oh.....

I will tell you an absolute fact. Once you die and you body begins to relax all you colon and bowl movement relax and then of your body everything comes out. Having a monument of the tallest tower will do nothing for you. It is the end of the body. If the egos of this country feel this will help them as they die, they are starkly wrong. But if they truly want a different legacy, they can live best by bringing a better civilization to their country, people and culture. Yes make the land bloom, bring green to the people, and bring life and jobs. Dare I say it, bring peace and stop the greed and selfish rule of leaders. Let the people rule and the people prosper and stop the war and hate. Find GOD and stop the WARS! This tower is just a big crap for an ego of a ruler, just before he dies, nothing more. IF YOU WANT A LEGACY< JUST LOVE YOUR PEOPLE!

imagine the sinbaaaadd scence from lion king off the top on that lookout

@CodeZero...he didn't say fastest wind speed ever, so check your reading skills...since you like to nit pick...Scientists measured the fastest wind speed ever recorded, 318 mph, in one of the tornadoes that hit the suburbs of Oklahoma City on May 3, 1999. you didn't state straight line winds, so you are wrong and Oklahoma is in the US.

Certainly a "tall waste of money".

I think it is a wonderful engineering achievement.
Since the Saudis can afford it I say it's great!
Gives the world (& US) some more work to do and it's not making
any machines of destruction -but rather construction.
(we need more of that in this world)

Thousands of years later and we're back to building pyramids in the desert...great.

Good job Humanity...there's still billions of people in poverty, millions of people starving and war all over the place but who cares when your sitting atop one of these babies!

History will always repeat itself. Be prepared.

Oh yeah, still pretty Bad Ass achievement so kudos to the engineers. Are some of them Jewish by chance? That would be pretty ironic!

dkella, Im from Argentina and belived me, we are going fine!!!
Your country is not the center of the universe!

Very cool building but how is this related to the vortex wind turbine? It could be the vortex wind funnel.

@robotbetty9

hardy harr har har I got your reference to the thinking machines homeworld :3

why would you waste that much money to make such a tall building unless your later going to turn it in to a space elevator

I'm glad a country that got where it is today without exploiting labor (I'm looking at you China) is going to have the world's tallest building