The ancient Arabian port of Jeddah sits along the Red Sea, waiting patiently for barges and cruise ships. Meanwhile, just a few miles north, desert dust rises up in bursts as new Jeddah City rises up from the amber dunes spread out along the Arabian Peninsula. While the new Jeddah City’s horizon may currently play host to construction cranes and scaffolding, in just under five years a modern oasis will shine amongst the desert sands, greeting tourists, international businessmen and pilgrims on their way to Mecca. In an effort to revitalize this important entry point into Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom City, Jeddah project will include 5.3 million square feet of shops, restaurants, offices, residential apartments unfurling at the base of Jeddah Tower, a 1-kilometer edifice set to seize the mantle of “tallest building in the world.” Previously known as Kingdom Tower and initially designed to be one-mile high, the revamped and slightly scaled-down Jeddah Tower will house a 200-room Four Seasons Hotel, over 300 apartments, and the world’s highest observatory platform jutting out 200 feet above the mouth the city’s man-made harbor. The sleek, futuristic, minaret with a completion date of 2020, will also include several viewing decks and a 250-meter spire striking out into the clouds. The tower is expected to cost about $1billion, with the entire project estimated to sit somewhere in the ballpark of $20 billion. Indoor environment will be controlled via design and technology. Large notches along the exterior will allow for shaded terraces. Cool air at the tower’s peak will enable natural cooling, and the tower’s orientation guarantees no significant surface area will directly face the sun. The structure will also be energy and water efficient, with low-conductivity glass controlling cooling costs and thermal loads, and air conditioning condensate...