Dubai’s Burj Khalifa remains the world’s tallest building at 828 meters (2,717 feet) in 2026, maintaining its record-breaking status 16 years after its opening. The 163-floor mixed-use tower has held the title since January 2010, when it surpassed Taiwan’s Taipei 101, which stood at 508 meters and had held the record for six years.
The Burj Khalifa’s dominance in the global skyline is unchallenged at present. Malaysia’s Merdeka 118, which opened on January 10, 2024, ranks second at 678.9 meters (2,227 feet), followed by Shanghai Tower in China at 632 meters (2,073 feet). The gap between the top two buildings underscores the Burj Khalifa’s engineering achievement, which was designed by the SOM architectural firm and contains office, residential, and hotel space.
The tower’s design and construction represented a significant leap in supertall architecture. When it opened, the Burj Khalifa was more than 320 meters taller than any previous record holder, a margin that reflected major advances in structural engineering, materials science, and construction techniques for megatall buildings.
The Next Challenger
Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Tower is currently under construction and is expected to claim the title when completed. The project, located in Jeddah Economic City, is targeting completion in August 2028, according to recent project updates. When finished, Jeddah Tower will stand over 1,000 meters tall, making it the world’s first kilometer-high building and surpassing the Burj Khalifa by a significant margin.
Construction on Jeddah Tower resumed in early 2025 after a period of delays. As of early September 2026, the tower had reached 113 floors and was progressing toward its 2028 completion target. The project represents an ambitious next chapter in the competition for height among the world’s tallest structures.
Until Jeddah Tower’s completion, the Burj Khalifa will continue to define the upper limit of vertical urban development. Its sustained reign reflects both the engineering durability of its design and the extended timeline required to conceive, finance, and complete buildings of such scale.
Sources
- Wikipedia – List of tallest buildings — confirmed Burj Khalifa at 828 meters as the tallest building since 2009
- Skyscraper Center — provided 2026 rankings of world’s tallest buildings
- Indian Express — reported February 2026 rankings with Burj Khalifa, Merdeka 118, and Shanghai Tower positions
- Britannica — documented Burj Khalifa’s 828-meter height and 163-floor structure
- Guinness World Records — verified Burj Khalifa opened in January 2010 and surpassed Taipei 101
- Newsweek — reported June 2026 update on Jeddah Tower completion target of August 2028
- Dezeen — documented April 2026 progress on Jeddah Tower reaching 100th floor
- AM Middle East — confirmed August 2026 update on Jeddah Tower reaching 107 floors
