The National : Jan 26, 2022

A new year and yet another sky-busting tower in Dubai.

This time it's Uptown Tower, which is sandwiched between the southern end of Jumeirah Lakes Towers and the Jumeirah Park community.

The skyscraper reached 329 metres last week when the concrete was poured for the roof of the 79th level. It will eventually reach 340m when a steel crown is placed on top.

The Uptown Dubai District is set to offer 10 million square feet of residential and business space, with 200 shops and restaurants.

But where does Uptown Tower rank in terms of the world's tallest buildings?

Of course, it is some way below the 828m Burj Khalifa, and doesn't even make Dubai's top 10, but, as anyone who has stood near it will affirm, it's still huge.

And, to answer the question, it will be the world's 80th tallest building, according to data from Emporis, unless one of the 13 soon-to-be-finished buildings is higher.

Where does Uptown Tower rank among the UAE's tallest buildings?
Quite highly, but it doesn't make the top 10. Dubai has almost 20 per cent of the world’s tallest completed buildings, according to The Skyscraper Centre of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

But not all of the UAE's high rises are in Dubai, with Abu Dhabi having some of the tallest, as well.

Uptown Tower is the 14th tallest in the UAE, just behind Adnoc Tower on Abu Dhabi's Corniche (342m); The Torch in Dubai Marina (352m), Emirates Tower 1 (354m) and the JW Marriott Marquis (355m).

You can see the tallest in the Middle East in the slideshow below:

The Almas tower, right, stands above other skyscrapers at the Jumeirah Lake Towers development in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2011. Dubai and its state-owned non-financial companies have $101.5 billion of outstanding debt and may need further financial support to meet those obligations, Moody's said. Photographer: Gabriela Maj/Bloomberg

ALMAS TOWER, DUBAI, 360 metres: Part of Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Almas tower was briefly the tallest in Dubai when it was topped out in 2008. It is the headquarters of Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, with high security vaults and safe deposits to protect clients' assets. Gabriela Maj / Bloomberg

What else is coming up on the horizon?
There are a few big projects in the pipeline in Dubai.

Construction of Ciel Tower in Dubai Marina is under way and will eventually reach 360m, according to developer The First Group.

It will have 1,209 luxury hotel suites and serviced residences spread over 82 levels, plus a glass observation deck with 360-degree views.

One Zabeel, meanwhile, is a pair of towers located next to Dubai's Trade Centre, connected by a 7,700-tonne bridge.

Tower A measures 304 metres and topped out in April 2021, while the 241m Tower B topped out earlier.

In Saudi Arabia, work on Jeddah Tower – slated to be the world's tallest once complete – is ongoing, although progress has been slow since construction started in 2011.
Meanwhile, in Downtown Kuala Lumpur, what will be the world's second-tallest skyscraper reached its final height in December.

Merdeka 118 is 678.9m, taller than the current second-tallest building, Shanghai Tower.

Designed by Australian firm Fender Katsalidis, Merdeka, 118 is scheduled to be completed later this year.

In Egypt, Africa’s tallest skyscraper has risen in the desert. The concrete, 385-metre Iconic Tower was completed in June last year and is set to open its doors in the first quarter of this year.