Bigger Button, Taller Tower

Building Babel   (Public Domain)

There’s something in the human spirit that can’t help but compete.  On a primitive level, this results in statements such as the following:  My button is bigger than yours.

Not to be outdone by either North Korea or North America, the Saudis are also going big.  Vertically big.  Tall, taller, tallest big.

Trump Tower ain’t got nothing on Jeddah’s.

Seeking to lower its economic dependence on oil, Saudi Arabia has a Vision 2030 underway.  In order to pump up tourism and raise its status as “a global power player,” the kingdom is  raising “an independent city” from the desert sands, with the world’s tallest tower as its crown jewel.

This region, Jeddah, has long been the gateway to Mecca and Medina.  However, it’s not been as popular as Dubai.  The Jeddah Tower is expected to change all that.  It will “feature the world’s highest observation deck,” and by 2030 there should be plenty more to observe.  The plan is to surround the tower with fancy shops and suites.

The Saudis compare their planned tower to Egypt’s pyramids, France’s cathedrals, and New York’s skyscrapers.  Babylon’s Babel has not been officially mentioned.  

Resources

http://www.cnn.com/style/article/jeddah-tower-saudi-arabia-new/index.html

Copyright January 17, 2018 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved