Saudi Prince Plans Mile-High Tower In The Desert

Plans for a mile-high tower in the desert, which would be twice the height of the world's tallest building, have been unveiled by the multi-billionaire owner of the Savoy hotel in London.

The building, masterminded by British-based engineers, will be constructed in a "mini-city" near the Red Sea port of Jeddah. The project, almost seven times the height of the Canary Wharf tower, will overtake skyscrapers planned or under construction in Dubai and Kuwait. It means the Middle East has opened a strong gap over east Asia in the race for the world's tallest building.

The Mile High Tower is the brainchild of Prince al-Walid bin Talal, 51, a member of the Saudi royal family, who has a fortune estimated at £11 billion and is the world's 19th richest person, according to Forbes magazine. Al-Walid's Kingdom Holdings has appointed a joint venture set up by Hyder Consulting and Arup, the London enginerring firms, to build the £5 billion tower..

The building will be fitted with a giant computer-operated damper stretching down several floors - to counter the nausea-inducing sway caused by the wind. The building will also be stabilised by two mini-towers, flanking the building's base and attached to the main structure by arched sky-bridges.

Keep reading The Times' report

The Telegraph reports visitors will be able to see Africa from the top.

Some diagrams from the Daily Mail:

Here is the prince, far right, with President Bush:

Comments

[hardrain77]

Now we know where all those hard-earned American dollars are winding up...

[jjc4good]

Again, before the Bush/McCain "freedom spreading" nightmare, oil was only $33 a barrel. Now, it's over $105. I'm surprised they don't build a ten mile tower out of gold. Imagine if we took the 12 billion a month being burned on the Iraq morass and invested it in solar power cells and research. Imagine if we invested that much in plug-in hybrid car research. What if we sent 500 million a month to build schools and housing for Palestinian kids? Which would stop the war on terror faster and with fewer casualties? Maybe if Haliburton and all the defense contractors has businesses building schools and homes then we could actually put through such a "radical" idea. God Help this world.

[gakabani]

What a waste of money! Who wants to spend 1/2 hour on elevators just to get to an office?
Insane. How much energy will it take to maintain such a monster?
It will collapse as it is energy inefficient.

[mediamarv]

I don't know, sort of seems like an appropriate use of oil profits...­. and demonstrates completely why we protect that government­...

[cjmartinez]

Actually, such buildings are apparently more energy efficient (as opposed to numerous smaller buildings), but yes, it seems a waste nonetheless.

[outnow]

Instead of the Twin Towers, the Osama bin Ladens will now have a local target - a symbol of obscene capitalism - all supported by the United States, of course! They are just as bad as we are. Friday is beheading of women day. For being a victim of rape, these women must read the Koran before they are flogged and beheaded for their crime of "dishonoring" their menfolk. Now that is spreading democracy for you!

[dsm]

I'm certainly no fan of muslim fundamentalists but one of the main reasons for attacking US targets is not who the people are or because of "freedom" but rather its foreign policy.

Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think
http://www.antiwar.com/scheuer/?articleid=12576

[HumeSkeptic]

The building, masterminded by British-based engineers, will be constructed in a "mini-city" near the Red Sea port of Jeddah.
----------

Had the Saudis used their oil wealth wisely, it would be Saudi engineers, not British, who would have designed and built the damn thing.

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

Ozymandius
by: Percy Bysshe Shelley

I met a traveler from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert... Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal these words appear:
My name is Ozymandius, King of Kings,
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

[PacificGatePost]

Hopalongpoppyseed .... good one. That's been my favorite English poem since I could read. Egos are a powerful thing.

[bac]

Brought back memories of my mom reading that sonnet to me when I was a small boy , a long long time ago
Thanks Hopalongpoppyseed!

[MajorKong]

Think of it as a giant upraised middle finger pointing at us.

[fearwig]

Yeah, because everything anyone who isn't an American does is an insult to America. Damn them!

[OpusIsUnderTheBed]

"fearwig"?

[MajorKong]

No, my insult was strictly directed at the Saudis and particularly their ruling family.

[jjc4good]

It's more like an erection caused by our SUVs and the Bush family's support of the only major country that doesn't allow women to vote and from which most of the 19 highjackers came from, and the fact that before Bush's war oil was only $33 a barrel and now it's over $105. Money coming out of the ground; if only crude was white it would fit this image perfectly.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­-------
On a related note, do you think this prince is trying to compensate for something?

[muslimarabdude]

what a waste of resources to cater the elite - that or he is making up for his educational and psychological inadequacies - as an arab muslim this is beyond offensive to my faith's sensibilities -- another manifestation of Khaleeji Consumption Disorder aka KCD in progressive muslim parlance (khaleeji is an arabic word for those from the gulf oil countries)

for a better understanding of the mentality see this

http://akramsrazor.typepad.com/islam_america/2007/10/khaleeji-consum.html

[Subway]

I would like to see how they intend to maintain 40psi water pressure to 6000 feet in the middle of a desert.

Obama/Dean 08! "Paradigm Change"

[fedupnburnin]

It sickens me that this nation makes absolutely no effort to free us from that part of the world.

[obxjohn]

Hey Prince,
There's a hole in the ground in Manahttan that needs filling, thanks to some of your countrymen. Why don't you build your building there.

[AnnArky]

Like pickup trucks, a man's building is inversly proportional to his dick.

[Vyvjala]

Have you noticed, the nematode from crawford sure smiles alot when he is around his ultra rich sleazy friends. He wasn't smiling like that at the baseball game, but he can sure yuck it up with his filthy rich oil buddies...­..

[Zentomato]

Al Queda will just blow it up.

[NicoleAnonymous]

I'm really impressed. I can't wait to reserve a room with a view of...nothi­ng.

So when are they going to let women drive and choose their own clothes? If I go to that country, I'm wearing what I want and driving a car while drinking alcohol just to make them angry.

[nefertiti]

He is one more vain Moron from the AL Saoud Maffia , another tour in a desert , what for ? the emirates has become a spot for Tours , and Prosti... History would remember him more if he invested his money and created jobs in Ailing Egypt , or sudan , or Niger , or Yemen , and help many thousands of families earn a living and live properly , he is a mega rich Billionaire already , when is he going to get enough ? he has just spent 300 Million for a personal jumbo jet . He is a shame to Islam , with his extravagance too .