The building, if confirmed, would be more than 1,000 metres taller even than the current tallest globally.

Render of what the tower could look like.

The building would become the tallest in the world if it comes to fruition. (Image: HKS Architects)

A skyscraper being planned in the Middle East would be the tallest building in the world, with a height some 20 times larger than that of Big Ben. Rise Tower is a proposed mega project in Saudi Arabia hoped to be the centrepiece of the Kingdom's North Pole Development, touted as a vast "city of the future" in the capital Riyadh.

The potentially record-breaking building is planned to have 678 floors and be home to high-end offices, luxury hotels, and posh restaurants. Construction of the building would be backed and overseen by the country's Public Investment Fund (PIF).  To give you a sense of its immense scale, London's Elizabeth Tower, affectionately known as Big Ben, is estimated to be over 96 metres (316 feet) high.

New tallest building in Saudi Arabia

A render of what the epic tower could look like. (Image: HKS Architects)

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Rise Tower, at "nearly" 2km in height, would be some 20.8 times the size, dominating Riyadh's landscape.

The title of tallest building is currently held by the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai, U.A.E., which stands at 829.8 metres (2,722 ft), making it more than twice as tall as New York's iconic Empire State Building.

But it would be eclipsed by Rise Tower, should it come to fruition, which the state hopes will be more than 1,000 metres taller even than the Burj.

It would be located near King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia's new North Pole District north of the capital, built as part of the country's vast Saudi Vision 2030 infrastructure and development project.

Render of what the Rise Tower could look like.

The ambitious construction project has not yet been confirmed. (Image: HKS Architects)

Foster + Partners reportedly won the design competition for the proposed tower in 2024. Renders of what the tower could look like attributed to fellow architectural giant HKS are circling online, but there doesn't appear to have been any official confirmation about the role either company are playing in the project moving forward.

Various important technical considerations would have to be considered for a project of this scale, including designing the building to withstand powerful winds, intense desert heat, and having immensely strong foundations to support its weight.

It's estimated that the colossal structure would cost a staggering £5billion to build, as per Middle East business news site MEED. 

However, the project is still in the planning and conceptual phase and hasn't been confirmed, meaning a start or completion date is unknown.

Work is also underway on a 1km-tall tower in the Saudi city of Jeddah which could take the tallest building crown first.