The Middle East is home to some of the most beautiful and intricately designed buildings in the world. Qatar, in preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, has designed seven new world-class stadiums and completed hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of infrastructure projects in recent years.
Of course, the region is also the site of the world’s tallest building, the 830-meter-tall Burj Khalifa in Dubai, as well as iconic structures like Cayan Tower (UAE), Tabi’at Bridge (Iran), Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (UAE), and Al Hamra Tower (Kuwait).
Saudi Arabia also features several world-renowned and award-winning buildings and towers, including the $15 billion Abraj Al Bait Towers, also known as the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower complex, and Kingdom Centre, a 300-meter, mixed-use tower in Riyadh that has a five-star hotel and luxury apartments as well as a 57,000-square-meter shopping center.
The following are five interesting facts about Kingdom Centre.
Once the Tallest Building in Saudi Arabia
Although now the fifth-tallest building in Saudi Arabia, Kingdom Centre held the distinction of being the tallest in the country from its opening in 2002 until 2012, when it was surpassed by the Abraj Al Bait Towers. Other towers that have since surpassed Kingdom Centre include the KAFD World Trade Center (304 meters), the Burj Rafal (308 meters), and the Public Investment Fund Tower (385 meters).
The entire Kingdom Centre building sits on approximately 96,000 square meters of land in Riyadh’s city center. In addition to its impressive tower, it features a three-level podium and below-ground parking space for more than 3,000 vehicles. The tower has four entrances and includes 13 floors of office space, five floors of condos and luxury apartments, a 10-story Four Seasons Hotel, and the headquarters of Kingdom Holding Company, which owns the tower.
Commissioned by Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal
Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal Al Saud, the great-great-grandson of Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabia’s first king, commissioned Kingdom Centre in the late 1990s. The billionaire owns 95 percent of Kingdom Holding Company, which maintains business interests in prominent publicly traded companies like Lyft, Twitter, and Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts. It is part of Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Coalition.
Known as the “Arabian Warren Buffett,” Prince Al-Waleed is among the world’s most influential business leaders, and he has heavily invested in Saudi real estate.
A Unique and Intricate Design
Designed to symbolize Riyadh, the elliptical tower stands out primarily for its striking triangular opening, which can be viewed from almost anywhere in the Saudi capital and was inspired by building designs like the Eiffel Tower and Gateway Arch. The inverted arch opening at the top of the tower was introduced strategically to keep the building as cool as possible during hot summer months, while the building’s exterior is wrapped with reflective glazing to further reduce heat. Kingdom Centre is the world’s third-tallest tower that includes a hole, behind Shanghai World Financial Center (492 meters) and 85 Sky Tower in Taiwan (347.5 meters).
The base of the tower, meanwhile, features opposing east and west wings that house the mall, a 1,200-seat conference hall, and sports facilities. The 57,000-square-meter mall includes renowned luxury brand outlets on all three levels of the East Podium.
After Prince Al-Waleed commissioned the project, Omrania, an architectural firm in Saudi Arabia, designed the $453 million tower in a joint venture with American firm Ellerbe Becket. In 2002, the same year it was completed, Kingdom Centre received the Emporis Skyscraper Award and Skyscraper of the Year Award for Design & Functionality. It also earned awards from the International Council of Shopping Centers and the American Institute of Architects.
A Breathtaking Sky Bridge
The Sky Bridge, located on the 99th floor of the Kingdom Centre and accessible via a high-speed elevator, offers panoramic views of the Riyadh skyline with floor-to-ceiling glass panels so that visitors can fully appreciate the beauty of the city from this height. The entrance to the Sky Bridge is located on the Gallery Floor, while the high-speed elevator takes visitors to the 77th floor, which houses the highest mosque in the world (King Abdullah Mosque). Another elevator transports visitors to the 99th floor.
The Sky Bridge is open to the public from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday to Thursday and 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays. Tickets are only 63 SAR, which is about $16.
Notable Movie Theater
VOX Cinemas is one of the most impressive entertainment attractions inside Kingdom Centre, especially considering Saudi Arabia inaugurated its first movie theater in 2018 after a ban of more than three decades. The upscale 32,818-square-foot facility is the first VIP Vox Cinemas in Saudi Arabia and includes larger and more comfortable seats as well as waiter service with call buttons on each set and a special VIP lounge.
Bishop Design and Unick Consulting completed interior design work for the Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas-owned venue, while Havelock One and Blue Rhine carried out fit-out contracting services.