The Jeddah Tower is planned to soar 1 km into the air, almost 200 metres higher than the present day tallest building in the world the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The foundation started a few years ago but as with a lot of fanciful projects in Saudi it is on hold presumably a victim of softening economic conditions.
Nonetheless there is construction everywhere here and nowhere more provoking than in the old town. Founded in the 7th century AD, today it is a lifeless mishmash of crumbling uninhabitable buildings, brand new facades and construction sites. It is soulless. A real disappointment.
Sitting on the Red Sea the city boasts a long stretch of resorts along the corniche stretching about 30 km in length. Unfortunately the omnipresent construction renders this a less attractive drive than in other world beach drives.
Overall Jeddah today is not a recommended tourist attraction but I can foresee that in the next 5 years when all these buildings come to fruition it is likely to be a different story.
