The Tallest Buildings in the World
The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the world's tallest building at 828 metres.
Also known as: World's tallest skyscrapers
The Burj Khalifa in Dubai has held the title of world's tallest building since 2010 at 828 m. The Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur is a distant second at 678.9 m.
What it is
The world's tallest completed building is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, at 828 metres (2,717 ft) with 163 floors. Designed by Adrian Smith at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, it opened in January 2010 and has held the title ever since.
Ranked by architectural height (the standard of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, CTBUH):
| Rank | Building | City | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burj Khalifa | Dubai | 828 m |
| 2 | Merdeka 118 | Kuala Lumpur | 678.9 m |
| 3 | Shanghai Tower | Shanghai | 632 m |
| 4 | Makkah Royal Clock Tower | Mecca | 601 m |
| 5 | Ping An Finance Centre | Shenzhen | 599.1 m |
Height is measured to the architectural top, which includes spires but not antennas or flagpoles. The Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia, designed to exceed 1,000 m, is under construction and would take the record on completion.
Worked example
Merdeka 118, completed in 2023, is the only building besides the Burj Khalifa to exceed 600 m as a single tower rather than relying on a broadcast antenna for its height.
Related entries
Sources & further reading
- The Skyscraper Center — Tallest Buildings — Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (article)