Ever since the Arab Spring sprang its bright new dawn, the old regimes of the Middle East — along with their economies — have fallen like dominoes. But one authoritarian regime, at least, stands taller than ever: Saudi Arabia. Its shimmery skyline, its modern minarets, all testify to the infallibility of petroleum-rich power. Yet there’s one enormous sign that Saudi may be headed for the skids.
This year, the Saudis started construction of the Kingdom Tower, a 200-floor skyscraper which is due to be completed in 2017. This citadel has the backing of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, and will be built by the Bin Laden family (the late Osama was a relation, though they disavowed him years ago). The building will have 59 lifts, luxury apartments, offices and a Four Seasons hotel. There will be a viewing platform at the top, from which to survey the gleaming metropolis of Jeddah. Kingdom Tower will be the tallest building in the world.
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