Asia and the Middle East Lead the Skyscraper Race

Saudi Arabia is planning to build a two-kilometer-high skyscraper on a site north of the capital city of Riyadh. If completed, it will be the world’s highest building. According to architecture and design magazine Dezeen, UK studio Foster + Partners is the primary architecture firm on the proposal.

As it stands, the Burj Khalifa is the tallest building worldwide at 828 meters (2,717ft). Based in Dubai, the UAE, the 163-stored building was completed in 2010. In second place comes the Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at 679 m (2,227 ft), followed by the Shanghai Tower in Shanghai, China at 632 m (2,073 ft).

When it comes to the world’s highest buildings, data from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat shows that Asia and the Middle East are winning the race to the skies. Out of this roundup, only one skyscraper, the One World Trade Center in New York City, is located outside of these two regions. China is particularly well represented, as it is home to five of the top 10 tallest buildings.

According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat database, the Burj Khalifa would be trumped by the proposed Burj Mubarak Al Kabir, which is planned to be built in Kuwait City, with a height of 1,001 m (3,284 ft) and 234 floors. The completion date is not published yet.