World's tallest tower planned for Saudi Arabia

Plans for a mile-high tower near the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah have been unveiled by the billionaire owner of London's Savoy Hotel, Prince al-Walid bin Talal.

The 1,620m-high structure, which will cost an estimated £5bn, will be twice as high as the nearby Burj Dubai, which at 818m tall will be the tallest manmade structure in the world when completed in 2009.

Mile-High Tower, as it is known, will be built in a new city near the Red Sea port of Jeddah. Its estimated completion date is 2012.

Consulting engineers Hyder and Arup are working on the project in joint venture with the prince's property company, Riyadh-based Kingdom Holdings.

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