"Building the tallest tower in the world is about human ingenuity and the strength of the materials used,” says Mounib Hammoud, CEO of Jeddah Economic Company, owner and developer of the Jeddah Tower, who roped in KONE to achieve the ambitious feat.
“KONE is the only vertical transportation service provider in the world capable of delivering what we need at the Jeddah Tower - specifically the capability of travelling at a speed of over 10 meters per second with Double Deck elevators to reach the highest liveable floor in the world in 52 seconds,” says Hammoud.
THE COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN
Last year, KONE initiated the very first phase of its elevator installations at the construction site of the impressive Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia, formerly known as the Kingdom Tower. For such a historic landmark project, KONE will deliver 57 elevators and eight escalators as well as uniquely advanced technology: the world’s fastest and highest double-deck elevators and the latest People Flow Intelligence solutions.
The double-deck elevators will travel at more than 10 meters per second. At 634 meters, the elevator travel will be the world’s longest and highest. KONE Areeco, KONE's Saudi Arabian joint venture, has been involved in the planning and design of all vertical transportation systems for Jeddah Tower over the past two years in conjunction with KONE's global experts.
KONE’s project team arrived on site in January 2015 and worked throughout the entire year on pre-installation activities concerning the fitting of the elevator system's guiderails and the first elevator cars for the lowest elevator groups.
"We are absolutely thrilled at having our operations up and running at the Jeddah Tower construction site and to have started our installation activities alongside the construction of the tower's core structure," says Sascha Brozek who heads the Major Projects unit at KONE.
The actual installation of the guiderails and KONE elevator cars will begin in the summer of 2016 and will progress as the tower’s central structure rises over the coming years.
KONE's engineering and project management teams are meticulously preparing for the next phases of the project which will cover the manufacturing and delivery of KONE's vertical transportation solutions as well as the installation on site of the various elevators groups.
WORKING WITH THE BEST
"We are immensely proud to be associated with KONE in a relationship that will add two new world firsts to the many other industry records we are setting in building this mega landmark that will be the pride of Saudi Arabia," notes Hammoud.
The admiration is mutual. "Without a doubt, this is a project that pushes the industry's limits to new heights and we are very proud to be an integral part of that journey," concludes Brozek.