King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques unveiled and inaugurated the two colossal projects of Kingdom City in Jeddah and Kingdom Tower in Jeddah in the presence of HRH Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz, HRH Prince Khaled Alfaisal Governor of Makkah Province, HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Chairman of Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) and Eng. Adel Muhammad Faqih, Mayor of Jeddah and other members of the royal family.
The unveiling of the designs and plans of the tower that will adorn the city of Jeddah and will be over 1,000 meters high, was held at the opening of a major international architectural exhibition Towards the First World in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday 11th October 2008. KHC was the main sponsor of this historical event. KHCs two projects: Kingdom City and Kingdom Tower were the highlight of the exhibition with a major presentation. It was the first time the design for Kingdom City and the iconic Kingdom Tower were revealed publicly. During the event, King Abdullah and Prince Alwaleed toured KHCs exhibition of the master plan and designs of the project with a total investment of more than SR100 billion.
HRH Prince Alwaleed commented: KHC has many grand investments in real estate in Saudi Arabia and this is one of them. We are extremely delighted at the unveiling of the designs and plans of KHCs iconic Kingdom City and Kingdom Tower projects in the city of Jeddah by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz which will signify KHCs contribution in placing Saudi Arabia at the forefront of the first world and reaffirming KHC as one of the world leading real estate developers. King Abdullah has previously inaugurated the Kingdom Tower in Riyadh during which Prince Alwaleed presented the King with the awards that Kingdom Centre had received: the Best New Skyscraper of the Year 2003 for Kingdom Tower and The Innovative Design & Construction of a New Project 2003 for Al Mamlaka Mall.
Engineer Talal Al Maiman, Executive Director for Development and Domestic Investments and a member of KHCs Investment Committee commented: Through the continuous guidance of HRH Prince Alwaleed, KHC uses its resources to their utmost potential to lead to outstanding achievements and to make future visions a reality through leading and challenging projects. I have all the confidence that the return on investments of these projects will be very rewarding, God willing as KHCs projects have been in Riyadh.
Organized by the City of Jeddah, the exhibition features sixteen projects currently planned for the Makkah and Jeddah regions. Kingdom Tower is part of the Kingdom City development which will be one of the largest and most comprehensive real estate projects to be built in Saudi Arabia located at Obhur, North of the creek of Jeddah and the mountains to the east. Prominently located on a prime site, the master plan, encompassing 7.1 square kilometers (1750 acres). Kingdom City in Jeddah is 20 km from the old city of Jeddah near King Abdulaziz International Airport. The area that comprises of buildings is 23 million square meters includes commercial, residential, institutional, educational, entertainment, retail and hotel facilities. The centerpiece of the development will be the landmark Kingdom Tower. Kingdom City is expected to house 80,000 residents and accommodate 250,000 visitors who will enjoy its facilities; lakes, canals, water sports and other leisure activities.
Kingdom Towers timeless beauty derives from its simplicity and purity of form. The tower will rise from a large retail and conference centre podium to 1,000+ meters in height the tallest building in the world and include five-star hotel accommodations, office space and luxury residences that encompass dramatic, sweeping views of the Red Sea, Obhur Creek and the mountains to the east. Essentially triangular in plan, Kingdom Tower is conceived as a graceful, sculptural form that reflects not only the unique character of Jeddah but also the sky, water, and land from its taut glass skin.