Abandoned - Jeddah Tower

Climbing high into the Saudi Arabian skies was a tower like no other. At 1km high and surpassing the world's already tallest tower, the Burj Khalifa, this mega was truly enormous. Originally named the Kingdom Tower and planned to be the centrepiece of the sparkling Jeddah Economic City. However things didn't go to plan and today I'm going to find out why the worlds newest, modern skyscraper never made it past the 50th floor and why it sits abandoned in an empty plot of land, in the desert.
Patreon - / brightsunfilms
Twitter - / brightsunfilms
Jake's Twitter - / bsf_jake
Instagram - / brightsunfilms
My documentary - www.closedforstorm.com/
--------------
BrightSunFilms 2022
Presented in 4k

[@dunnowy123]

Unlike most abandoned places, this one just sticks out and you can literally never ignore it lol.

[@RoboRoby321]

I hate that companies aren't forced to demolish the ruins of their buildings. I live near a coast and when driving through the beautiful coastline there's a section where you see a few abandoned condo buildings between the road and the sea. The companies went under or cancelled the project after 2008 and those shells of a building are still there muddying our sight

[@fatdoi003]

good target practice for the air force

[@RoboRoby321]

@pootis those buildings are just the shell lmao literally floor ceiling and concrete stairs, not even walls got put up

[@annoyboyPictures]

@@fatdoi003 Why can't ISLAMIC JIHADIs fly planes into those Buildings?

[@themodernfrontiersmen]

@@RoboRoby321 I understand your point, but as an urban explorer, I hope more abandoned buildings are left alone. Once they get demolished their history and purpose is forever forgotten.

[@spikey_104]

part of me is sad huge projects like this are cancelled, not seeing what could've been, but at the same time they're mainly vanity projects, and do little to improve the lives of the people living in the area. Still its crazy the amount of money spent for something that may never be finished.

[@AaronShenghao]

Same can be said to most maga project. The 632m Shanghai Tower (Second tallest in the world at completion, and tallest public observation deck as 2022 at 563m) is built solely to one up the 492m tall Japanese-developed Shanghai World Financial Center. The building had difficulty leasing spaces and the hotel.

[@spikey_104]

@@Bobspineable a lot of the time they bring people in to work on the projects for cheaper labour, not sure if that happened here but its common practice. As for the office spaces a lot of these projects struggle to fill the offices, and already existing companies moving in won't make many new hires.

[@Game_Hero]

@@Bobspineable jobs for whom? Ultra-wealthy people (the target demographic) don't need jobs.

[@billypilgrim1]

​@@Bobspineable What? The slave labour? Honestly, this kind of projects are built with the sweat and blood of underpaid immigrant workers. Also, which jobs would be created afterwards that benefit locals? Have you seen their GDP per capita? They all are basically millionaires, they don't need jobs and we need not to waste an ounce of sympathy for them.

[@JohnS-il1dr]

And the waste of raw resources which could have been spent on existing aging infrastructures like roads and water aqueducts

[@klausoshaunacey8429]

These places just always make me think about where the workers would live. Like, this whole place just seems built around a top heavy economic structure without thinking about the people who would actually work the counters, clean the floors and sweep the streets. I’m gonna assume they weren’t planning on putting affordable housing next to their ritzy malls and hotels.

[@alice45-fgd-456drt]

There's little affordable housing in most extremely rich areas, don't have to go further than NY, LA etc to see exactly this. The rich don't want to blend with the poor, this is a universal human trait.

[@connorhawkins1801]

As of now, the Jeddah Tower has FINALLY started resuming construction. Unfortunately, it is unknown when it will be completed.

[@outatime2254]

Always a good day when there's a new Abandoned episode.

[@everythingsalright1121]

Damn right

[@chrisbrianjeremiaholsen9787]

Fully agreed.

[@SpheroJr3289]

Damn right!

[@eeeeeee9873]

Yeah it is

[@Rosey423]

For sure!

[@randallsage2]

These buildings may be abandoned but this channel certainly isn't; good work as always, my dude.

[@BrightSunFilms]

Haha thanks!

[@gaboo1835]

@@BrightSunFilms We absolutely love the work and hours you put in your videos Jake,keep going!

[@Battleneter]

@@BrightSunFilms WTF is a "Feet", who's foot are using using to masure, use metric you savage!

[@sybrenkruijf8570]

We never abandoned bright sun films

[@LuigiRandazzo21]

I worked on drawings for this building at a firm in Chicago. What a waste

[@shmackydoodRon]

That doesn’t impress the world. Stability and democracy do.

[@theogtimeclock]

well it does to you guys how did it work out btw high crime rates high drug usage a president who after one fall will fade into dust we are good yall are good peace is better then forcing countrys to live like yours

[@Rockett16]

Oceanwide Plaza in Los Angeles has been abandoned since 2019 with 3 49 story residential towers connected by a podium.

[@janneaalto3956]

"Along the red sea sits a looming figure..." sounds very much like the opening line from fantasy, scifi and horror stories from 1920's to 1950's.

[@empanthem2005]

I’ve lived most of my life in Saudi Arabia since my parents were overseas workers. I’ve passed through that construction site countless times during my time and years upon years I was kinda curious to what it would look like when it’s finished. Crazy how projects like these stagnate. Great vid, gave me huge memories of Saudi Arabia. Love from the Philippines 🇵🇭

[@empanthem2005]

@dejuren they weren’t contractors but office workers that went overseas. Apologies for not making it clear

[@amayajackson4818]

ever visit KAUST while you were there?

[@johncassell5910]

@@amayajackson4818 I lived there!

[@amayajackson4818]

@@johncassell5910 Same! Did u go to TKS???

[@johncassell5910]

@@amayajackson4818 yeah! I was there from grades 1-5

[@redbrick146]

I wondered, when I will see an opening of this skyscraper, now I'm watching a video about this skyscraper as an abandoned building.

[@ler3968]

When I was working in Saudi I got to travel around many areas. I found it funny to see many large royal palaces abandoned in remote sites. I was told these were built for the king but most of them he visited once or twice and he never returned. I thought that was a big waste of money back then.

[@ZenitsuKunn]

Damn

[@xn9333]

That's a hell of a metaphor for ringing so true it's painful

[@noousha]

Not true

[@fahad101summan]

You can’t tell if a palace is abandoned or not because all the palaces are surrounded by huge walls and gardens, so please stop lying, I actually worked INSIDE many of them and not single one didn’t have a family living in it

[@ler3968]

@@fahad101summan My Saudi friend told me no one ever goes inside them they were built in the 1960s they had no huge walls. You could see they were empty and they were falling apart, I will tell my Saudi friend you called him a liar he is related to the Royal Family. Why are you so troubled all countries have abandoned unused buildings.

[@cadensunila]

I will always to continue to love the abandoned series. Thanks Jake for putting up such great content ♥️

[@BrightSunFilms]

Thank you so much!

[@jacksonteller3973]

@@BrightSunFilms I do think slave labor was a part of why this got cancelled, I remember all the controversy over migrants dying to build Qatar's massive stadium for the 2022 World cup so it wouldn't shock me if several workers died trying to build this monstrosity and SA covered it up and decided it was best to put the project on ice.

[@fritzfam5]

@@BrightSunFilms the jeddah tower is gonna collapse before it beats the burn Khalifa

[@thewizard4981]

@@BrightSunFilms He’s so mad at The line cuz the queen didn’t build for their country anything impressive 😂

[@davewilson7602]

@@jacksonteller3973that’s true but the sad reality is that the migrant laborers die on every project and they don’t care, this one wouldn’t be covered up specifically since it’s so common. I can’t help but look at every one of these middle eastern projects and have a hatred for them because they were built on the deaths of my people.

[@onlywithbuts1781]

Love the progression of it all Burj Khalifa - Half Empty Jeddah Tower - Half Finished GOOD! Keep it up, its only being built to flex, nothing else and they can't even do that right. Let it fail.

[@melongaming2009]

As a Boy Scout I would like to see an abandoned episode on Treasure Island on the Delaware River, it has such rich history and a very hopeful future. Edit: Treasure Island is a Boy Scout camp that was opened in 1915 and abandoned in 2008

[@mattmasi303]

This is like the sky scraper version of the Devel Sixteenth super car 😅

[@withershin]

I worked on this master plan around 2007 and thought it was nuts back then. I was just a low-level GIS tech but I noticed one of my buddy's ghost humans in the mall render. The red shirt with weird pants at 2:08. Red shirt appears in Toronto and Amman renders as well. His name was "weird pants".

[@InvaderNatDT]

Jaddah tower is the embodiment of everything I hate in modern tower development. They built it purely as a vanity project, not because it would actually be useful. You're generally not meant to start with tall buildings and then build the rest of the city around it. Tall buildings are supposed to develop naturally as demand requires, over the course of many decades. Projects like this happen when a rich fool gets a grandiose vision in their head, but they aren't patient enough to develop such a project realistically. They think it's like a game of Sim CIty were you can just build an entire city the way you want it, with a magical flood of demand following thereafter. Another classic example of this is the Azerbaijan tower/Khazar islands. Billionaire Ibrahim Ibrahimov literally came up with the idea on a flight whilst returning from Dubai, he then quickly scribbled it down on a napkin and ordered his people to start planning it. They ended up building some of the reclaimed land required for it (as the whole thing stretches into the sea, like Dubai's palm islands), built a few avenues and... that's about it. The project stalled, for the usual reasons.

[@rhetoric5173]

All sky scrapers are vanity projects

[@HuzaifaSabah]

I aint reading that all but yeah I agree ig

[@ryuno2097]

I would like for him to do a video about the Azerbaijan Tower/Khazar Islands.

[@staringcorgi6475]

@@rhetoric5173 but stuff like the wtcs empire state buiding and sears towers had a purpose like providing office space

[@rhetoric5173]

@@staringcorgi6475 They're all vanity projects, there's no reason for them to go up when going laterally would give exponentially more surface area. Ex: Lake point tower. Which is 620 feet tall. The same height as Seattles space needle. Seattles Columbia tower (76floors) is 969 feet tall. A full 50% taller with 9% more floors.

[@jezza82]

Just a note, currently in Jeddah, they have begun construction again, but the height now will only reach approx. 480meters.

[@Bruno-P]

Source?

[@XR-ok6gr]

@@Bruno-P trust me bro

[@Moshpitlovemusic]

😂😂😂

[@seltonk5136]

Do they plan to have a pizzeria

[@yamaha188zt]

I feel like a tower of this size would get a lot more tourists if there was more to look at than just sand.

[@OffGridInvestor]

Arabs have been around sabd so long, they wouldn't even understand that. Imagine being an average joe and flying to a country JUST to look at a building. I mean unless you're an architect, likely not gonna happen.

[@robroy8568]

You 2 are hilarious, Saudi Arabia has a variety of nature all along his westcoast. Your ignorance might be larger than their desert

[@yamaha188zt]

@@robroy8568 ok Rob

[@28704joe]

You get a good view of camel races and public beheadings.

[@bankio1883]

Nah looking at the Burj khalifa felt like nothing lol inside it is very depressing too

[@PrincessSapphireSpirit24]

we have all missed you and your amazing videos, it's informative, fun and addictive!

[@Sildrig]

"Or the stupid mirror line thing" made me laugh out loud, glad you mentioned that ludicrous project.

[@Sashazur]

I’ll be surprised if they even start building that thing, but if they do, I’m sure it’ll show up on this channel in a few years. A single thin long line is far and away the stupidest possible layout for a city.

[@profile5]

@@Sashazur I saw pictures a few days ago that were said to be the start of construction on that project. Didn’t bother double checking though, I doubt it will be finished. It sounds like an idea that was conceived by a dictator without a lot of wise thought put into it. Kind of like the Jeddah Tower.

[@indiansaudi93]

I live in Jeddah and I will tell u the real reason why it was shut. Pretty simple yet bluntly saying The CEO who was arrested his ego was hurt and he stopped the project.

[@FivePlainTees]

This is one if my favorite channels! Would love to see an episode on the Seawatch Subdivision in Sechelt, British Columbia.

[@kc0eks]

Jake needs to narrate more series he's got a perfect voice for this.

[@gaywizard2000]

I don't like it, weird affectation, he can't even pronounce "vague" right.

[@austinreed5805]

I remember always tuning in every month or so to see how the tower’s construction was going. It’s sad to see that it is still delayed, and now may not even be completed.

[@CordovaMage]

Why? Most middle eastern skyscrapers are nothing more than ego builders for the monarchy's that control their nations. All that wasted money that could of been used to better the lives of their people they just burn away on empty buildings that do nothing but send money to european engineering and Chinese construction companies. Every failure is a victory for the average middle eastern citizen.

[@TheRibbonRed]

I prefer if they don't. SA & UAE projects aren't exactly built on great terms. Most of them just looks like too much money & barely any brains at the top. Focusing on better local terraforming & public facilities (including the plumbing) looks to be a far, _far_ better use of their wealth. But they won't ever do those...not with their attitudes.

[@mar07in]

@@TheRibbonRed Best take ever on the issue mate :)

[@TheRibbonRed]

​@@mar07in but unlike every other issue... ...this one take their workers' passports, force them into destitute living (where their original countries' living are better), and ban them from ever leaving until you don't have a physically fit working body anymore.

[@splintercell5551]

@@TheRibbonRed I used to live in That part of the world, those countries usually compete in building taller or bigger mega projects and skyscrapers,they could’ve done way more for us instead of wasting so much money on nothing

[@helenamcginty4920]

There are a lot of comments on here about foreign labour. Many employers in the middle east often treat migrant workers as slaves. Tjis is and always has been common. Many years ago Pakistani friends explained to me that Pakistani workers were not even considered to be "the right sort of muslim" so could be treated as inferior people. This includes women working in homes as well as men working in construction etc. Their passports are confiscated so they cannot easily leave. They are contracted on restrictive visas so cannot change employers. They are often badly housed as well as physically ill treated from beatings to rape. From poor diet to near starvation. There have been occasional cases in the UK where an "servant" brought in with the family manages to escape and find help.

[@classic_movie_trailers]

Outstanding research, narration, and production.

[@therichard27]

It was only a matter of time before this became an Abandoned episode - surprised this wasn't an Abandoned episode back in 2020

[@RavenFilms]

This sounds like the North Korean hotel story, just for a new generation. -Vanity project -Unnecessary (rather because there’s more than enough space or not enough people) -Corruption hindering work -Left incomplete and abandoned -National embarrassment

[@Blackheathenly]

- Waste of natural resources - Destruction of local environment.

[@tokyosmash]

Are the people in the area starving to death?

[@RavenFilms]

@@tokyosmash They would be, if there were anything but the few rich people in the area…. In both cases.

[@pacmanc8103]

@@RavenFilms Complete nonsense. Jeddah is a city of 5 million people - much larger than Dubai. It is modern and well-laid out. You clearly know nothing about Kingdom Holding Company or who owned it and what that person is doing today. Inform yourself before wasting time scribbling a list of garbage.

[@bcc5701]

@@pacmanc8103 KHC is trash. Cry about it.

[@AM-of1tv]

I lived in Jeddah from 2013 till 2018. There was something off about the construction whenever I'd drive past it, it didnt feel active at all and you could tell this was not going anywhere

[@xZOOMORPHICx]

#74?! how have i never seen this channel?! love this type of content.

[@UpToTheWhalesNow]

The site for JEC is in the middle of nowhere and so far away from anything else in Jeddah... I remember being in disbelief when I drove past a puzzling concrete structure sticking out of the dessert back in 2016. Somewhat validating to learn it still looks like that 😂

[@loganshorthair2428]

I really love that you continue to make these videos Jake. I’ve been watching abandoned as well as your other series since you first started :)

[@beautifulflorida]

Very nice, informative video! Thank you for sharing!

[@bluecube7247]

Subscribed!!!!!! ❤ YOUR WORK

[@neem_71y76]

I live in Jeddah and every time I see it I feel emptyand sad, thank you for making my country part of my favorite series

[@swatteam2002]

you should laugh at its stupidity

[@PeaceToAll-sl1db]

allah does not exist. proud to be an ex-muslim

[@castorchua]

Try working on it for real sadness

[@nh251]

You should change your laws and treat women better. It's disgusting the way you and your country disrespects all women. Stop making women wear black tents in the desert.

[@fark69]

​@@castorchuaIt's hard for Westerners to understand, but the manual workers in the Middle East are generally getting a better deal there than back home, otherwise they'd all stop going there altogether. In countries like India, Pakistan, etc. manual labor pays literally less than pennies. In the Middle East, they may take your passport and all, but you'll at least have enough money to send home and keep your family afloat.

[@dacksonflux]

For mega structures it often helps to have a strong local economy to support their creation. I would've started with the city first, maybe a school. Prestigious Universities are a good way to get your city on the radar.

[@datadavis]

They're only known for oil and bestial murder.

[@Tonyx.yt.]

yeah sure you would attract many students with sharia law

[@felicitymasiu96]

Never heard of universities in dubai and qatar

[@jeannotario7384]

@@Tonyx.yt. ure ignorant

[@allangibson8494]

Starting with a functional sewer system (unlike Dubai) is a good start. Dubai still doesn’t have a mains water or sewage system covering the city.

[@louprentz8554]

excellent documentary.

[@Dayvit78]

I don't understand why these giant skyscrapers need glass windows. It seems like a huge "death ray" accident waiting to happen when the sun hits it in the right spot and reflect on some unfortunate soul on the ground.

[@mikebrodeur6802]

Interesting content as always Jake. Always excited when a new Bright Sun Films video is released.

[@laureng6412]

I remember when this channel was small enough that I could send a message to Jake and he would have a casual conversation with me. It's come a lonnngg way in terms of views, and the quality of his content has only gotten better with every video.

[@BrightSunFilms]

Thanks so much

[@0037kevin]

I guess the channel growth hasn't gone to his head, he still had time to reply to you.

[@LowgaenSchmidt]

Should do one of these on the Sky City tower that was aimed to be built in China. A prefabricated tower that supposedly was to be taller than Burj Khalifa and only take 90 days to build.

[@gu9838]

10 years and i havent seen this until now? crazy stuff! great video!!!!!!!

[@johnschoen-mccullough6251]

Another insight video! Been watching for nearly a decade, and the excitement I get when I see a new Abandoned is constant

[@BrightSunFilms]

Thanks so much!

[@cliffdog2004]

Another informative and interesting video. I really dig your content, Jake. Thanx for taking the time 🤙

[@crabohydratezzzz0430]

Another awesome episode of my favorite internet show, great work Jake. I'd love to see a video about the Edmund Fitzgerald in your style if you're ever looking for ideas.

[@mmaldonadojr]

Maybe it's better to finish the building at the current height (it's already beautiful and potentially useful in its current state, just redesign the infrastructure to fit the shorter size). And then use the remaining budget to develop the neighborhood.

[@chrisdooley1184]

I’m forever fascinated by the audacity of these projects in that region of the world. First by the absurd amount of money to be spent but also why anyone would want to do business in the Kingdom. MBS is a vicious killer who routinely rounds up foreign business workers and jails them on trumped up charges of embezzlement and crimes against the crown etc etc. I’ve read a full 25% of his projects never see the light of day and work just stops and no one ever asks what happened and others jump in for their chance to make millions of not billions

[@graemelow7516]

This is the fundamental problem isn’t it - no sane international business would site their regional HQ there because no one wants to live there because of the laws and business is difficult because of corruption. They need to get a reality check about how the rest of the world sees them and why - a westerner taking their family there would need to be slightly crazy. If you wanted to do business from this locale you would probably choose the UAE for all these reasons

[@chrisdooley1184]

@@graemelow7516 completely agree. You’d be much safer doing business in the UAE. I can’t tell you how many reports on 60 Minutes and the like talk about some poor international business guy who was locked up and tortured for years because somebody saved themselves by giving up an innocent man. In light of the whole Khashoggi murder how can anyone in any position trust MBS? Look what the man has done to his daughters! We have not seen the one who escaped to India on a yacht and was promptly recaptured by a damn Saudi spec-ops team operating on foreign soil smh. I hope she’s still alive but I suspect not sadly. It’s a clusterfuck over there Graeme. Cheers

[@knickd1979]

meanwhile, Americans complain about having to build handi-cap accessible bathrooms and entrances, and the patrons complain if the owner hangs a picture of a POTUS they didn't vote for. Imagine dropping the average family from San Francisco into a place like Saudi Arabia?!?! hahahahahahahaha. suddenly the "sys white male" culture wouldn't seem quite as oppressive and intolerant now would it? hahahahaha

[@chrisdooley1184]

@@knickd1979 yes I agree that western countries are concerned about the dumbest things but your point about bringing people to SA to live would be funny at first then very sad as the morality police started locking up and torturing them left and right. The Kingdom sure did brag about their record 81 public executions in one afternoon last year! Nobody wants to work under such looming pressure. And our great dope of a president Biden giving MBS full immunity in the Khashoggi murder just made me absolutely sick to my stomach smh. How anyone could consider him trustworthy when he’s orchestrated the torture and murder of how many people including his own daughter! The man is a sociopath despot who uses the Quran and oil as shields to hide his depravity

[@leifschannel]

@@chrisdooley1184 its not MBS daughter, but actually the one of the King of Dubai.

[@fortunax22]

Love relaxing to a good Bright Sun Films video. Also don't know if it's new but just noticed the new intro graphic and love it!

[@MaskMcGee]

Finally, only took you 70 episodes but finally you did what I suggested, the cold opening and it's so much better.

[@Badhans2007]

Great vid

[@AJMartorano]

I dont know if anthing will pass the burj. As a Chicagoan I was hopeful for the spire but that didn't work. But if anything does it'll be a spectical just like the burj. Great Video jake!

[@aashland6381]

Man, you've grown so much as a creator through the years dude. Always makes my day when you upload.

[@BrightSunFilms]

Thanks!

[@zakp.2759]

Agreed.

[@hb1338]

One thing he has not developed is the ability to present. Text delivered at a uniform rate with zero inflection simply does not cut it, mostly because it is barely comprehensible.

[@shanewall9092]

@@hb1338 What are you not comprehending??

[@walkacrossit]

​@@shanewall9092he might just be slow

[@MichaelWalker-ej7dm]

Sept. 2023 construction has resumed.

[@MikeNapoli1989]

Let’s go!!!!

[@marekdg]

Nice detail to have the music of Lawrence of Arabia playing in the background 😎

[@Volkov31]

Another absolute banger, Jake! The team and yourself put such heart and soul into these videos!

[@IcamefromJeddah]

I grew up in Jeddah in the 60s & 70s, my family had a very rustic beach cabin on the Red Sea inlet, shown near the tower. That used to be a 45 min drive from Jeddah & there was next to nothing out there. How sad to see it covered w/ development now.

[@muhammad-uc2ev]

Wow thats really intresting

[@muhammad-uc2ev]

Do you still live in jeddah?

[@dsjeonkorea]

It is amazing there are people who Like to live in such high-rise building. It looks dangerous.

[@Gilraen15]

Thanks for another great documentary! 🎉Keep Up The Great Work 🎬

[@gabbyfarr3904]

I love the Abandoned series! I get so excited when I get a notification that Jake's posted a new video

[@Galadrial1]

thanks Jake that was cool

[@Florida_Skies]

Construction supposedly restarted a few days ago

[@TrunkyDunks]

This is very sad. When i was younger this was one of the reasons i got into the engineering and welding inspection field. The opportunity to work on such a site...a world changing building was inspiring. Very sad to see it was pushed by the wayside. The burj khalifa was awesome to work on, hope i get the chance to go back to Dubai in the future and do another project.....the burj makes me shed a tear every time i look at it, because i know it inside and out. top to bottom of foundation. The Jeddah would have been something else....sad.

[@HMKfilms360]

Recently graduated as a civil engineer, I became interested in the field after my family moved to Dubai. I never get sick of looking at these massive buildings and marvels of engineering. Ironically though I ended up enjoying water and wastewater engineering more than structural design haha.

[@ruffethereal1904]

@@HMKfilms360 No shame, gotta get the water in and out somehow!

[@elievalkyrie9736]

Isn't the but khalifa is that one building which doesn't even have waste treatment properly installed ? That they have to haul all the shit and waste using trucks and makes congestion on the road.. build with the help of slaves with no proper wage, none standard of living whatsoever ~

[@SuperSpecies]

@@elievalkyrie9736 it does now have a sewer connection

[@TrunkyDunks]

@@elievalkyrie9736 part of the reason that was a thing was because it wasn't supposed to be used until that was done, Dubai has a really wonky sewage network. Not just the burj, it's the whole downtown really. I think it has since been fixed though.

[@TonyVRailfanning]

Nicely done as usual, keep them coming

[@Salvolabruzzo.]

Nice video mate from Italy 🇮🇹

[@martinlatvian5538]

I did never explore city of Jeddah, but I spent 9 hours in Jeddah airport. A very beautiful airport. I did fly trough via Etihad during Ramadan. Since I had long a layover the security of the airport did show me a nice clean shower and I could get unlimited food and rest on sofa. I just had economy class cheap ticket. I was surprised about the welcoming and comfort. I still don't understand why. I could see other passengers not allowed to go to showers and have free food, but for some reason I got all the hospitality. The airport was very huge and beautiful, but little people around. Maybe, cause of Ramadan.

[@fauxhound5061]

All that hospitality was because you're foreigner. The government loves to spread its cheeks for anyone but it's own citizens

[@grahamo22]

Jeddah airport was designed by a UK company and managed through to completion by the same company. thats why it worked - no involvement by the locals except under the direction of a sensible set of engineers.

[@lovelygirl10158]

I'm always looking forward to a new episode of Abandoned. Jake... You are so amazing. And your voice is like Asmr to me. Keep up the bloody epic work. I've been following you for along time now. You never scese to amaze me how hard you work to bring such awesome Abandoned episodes. Love from Kelowna BC Canada 🇨🇦 💕

[@speedfizzz]

Oui des ouvrages grandiosement voués à l 'ephemere et donne une impression de froideur visuelle

[@vanessafuentes3291]

Dilapidacion de recursos.¿ Esos proyectos tienen rentabilidad social.O solamente para pagar a constructoras y disenos muy extranos.

[@optimixxx]

awesome flight and hike !

[@reysaj]

The wide and flat road in front of this project the Jeddah Economic City / Kingdom (Jeddah) Tower was a very good place for a fast marathon course. This road is where I got to earn my personal best in half marathon.

[@SpadeOfNades]

Haven't watched the video yet, but the topic certainly intrigued me right away as soon as I saw the title. I always remember whenever I'd look up about the tallest towers in the world and the Jeddah Tower was constantly talked about as something that would eventually surpass the Burj Khalifa in height once it's completed and take its place as the tallest tower. Part of me was sorta waiting to see it finished because of my sense of wonder as a child or something like that, but over time I sorta lost interest and I rarely heard it being talked about until today. Am curious to see what happened to it.

[@jedonline]

I was actually named after this city. I remember being so excited when I heard about the tower being built and my middle school self wanted to tell people a tower was built and named after me. I honestly had forgotten about this project. Sad to see it will most likely never be completed.

[@JTA1961]

& like it... you too have probably stopped getting taller

[@evrythingisayisfactzzlolll6642]

@@JTA1961 what?

[@marcd7332]

@@evrythingisayisfactzzlolll6642 Read it again… slowly

[@evrythingisayisfactzzlolll6642]

@@marcd7332 I did and it makes zero sense. The only thing I got from it is that Joel (the replier) 100% has a “illegal” collection in his computer. All’s im saying.

[@childofcascadia]

@EVRYTHING I SAY IS FACTZZ LOLLl Are you using google translate? How the fuck did you get that out of a cheesy dad joke?

[@toxleymoxley]

A tower surrounded by undeveloped space and sand sounds like it was doomed from the start.

[@Mr.Eldritch]

Ok, so cap it off exactly as it stands, wrap the building so it don't erode, put a giant beacon light on the top, and call it the new "Great Lighthouse Wonder."

[@TornadomusPrime47]

I love your content so much Jake.

[@DJTheMetalheadMercenary]

Another great episode!!! I don't foresee it being restarted anytime soon with the current economic state of things. Looking forward to the next one!!

[@jacksonteller3973]

plus SA seems to be more interested in investing in video games(they are currently trying to buy a major games publisher) then buildings.

[@BangTheRocksTogether]

"Rather unverified..." That is the funniest thing I have heard today, and It's been a pretty funny day. Bravo!

[@JoseELeon]

Its fumny how an unfinished building is higher than any building in my country

[@mavicminipilot]

Live the abandoned series. I’ve been subscribed since ep 1. Thanks for making this!

[@gaywizard2000]

Love?

[@The-Plaguefellow]

Beautiful idea, frankly. Would've been one heck of a sight to see from any angle. Not gonna shed any tears for this loss, though. The House of Saud and their many bouts of egotistical building and _many_ other issues have really put a damper on any sort of blue-sky-ing to be had about any of those projects of theirs.

[@duanenavarre7234]

thanks for mentioning the mirror line project is more megalomania delusions, that is quite true.

[@hugolafhugolaf]

Excellent.

[@frankfarago2825]

Just drive down the Las Vegas Strip. You will see plenty of abandoned towers, sitting there way longer than this one in Jeddah. Also, not sure why what is there now would have to be demolished. Just top it off at this level and finish what you have, forget going up to 1000 meters, as that was never needed in the first place.

[@IzzyTheEditor]

You mentioned the NY Freedom tower only being 1770 ft tall, but it's really architecturally 1,776 ft tall and 1,792 ft at the tip of the spire. I say this because the architectural 1776ft portion is important for a reason.

[@HollandandJasper]

In 5 years: Abandoned - The Line

[@pilotgrrl1]

Gill+Smith is probably the best known architectural firm known for supertalls and megatalls. They're headquartered in Chicago, home of the skyscraper.

[@DMBall]

I understand from another video that the Burj Khalifa has a vacancy rate of almost 30% at present. Doesn't bode well for the Jeddah Tower.

[@italiansunrunner]

Great video! Love your work!

[@BrightSunFilms]

Thanks!

[@levente-varga]

I'm a fan of the intro :D really cool

[@jameshermes4341]

With super wealth way above what they are able to comprehend and control, any structural contraption build by others would appear as their own great achievement, except when it turns into a waste land. Was employed for many many years there and it does not surprise me.

[@laurenmilton6720]

Something about watching Jake’s videos has a calming feeling to me.

[@MidwestMomma17]

As always, a great abandoned episode!!

[@nickfiore9583]

Do a video on regency cruises bankrupt in 1995 and ships sold to various cruise lines

[@kenfrank3782]

The Saudis would have really impressed me - not by building something taller than what other countries had all ready built-- but by creating forests in the desert Now that would get world attention - a tree vs glass & steel.

[@bankafouf]

Tree + glass + desert = 🔥, 🌡️, ↘️💸... Let make a consept of that ?

[@Bot-ov2hs]

This thing kinda reminds me of the cologne cathedral. A church which sat abandoned for 300 years, just with one small crane on it.

[@filbao8113]

Whaatt

[@1KingCoop]

Another good video by you jake. I've always wondered about what happened to the Jeddah Tower there's so much hype surrounding it online and everything and then it just kind of fizzled out. When it really comes down to it people just don't have the finances or scandals happening as well as other outside forces keeping it from being done there's always a reason. That's how I feel but you never know the tower could go up one day. Anyway keep up the good work with the videos I enjoy it.

[@samedwards6683]

Got to love it!

[@az000zf3]

Great Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦❤️

[@ZPositive]

I was just wondering what happened to this tower last week. Thanks for this!

[@jordanseay216]

I think you should do an episode on ShopKo. They've been out of business now for a number of years and I think it would be cool to know the full history of the company.