Speakers

H.E. Abdulrahman Al-Shaikh

H.E. Abdulrahman Al-Shaikh

Dep. Mnst. for Town Planning
MOMRA, Saudi Arabia
“Urban Developments in Saudi Arabia" & "Kingdom Tower / Kingdom City”
Mounib Hammoud

Mounib Hammoud

Mega Project Consultant
Al Nahla Trading and Contracting Company
“Urban Developments in Saudi Arabia" & "Kingdom Tower / Kingdom City”
Irvine Sellar

Irvine Sellar

Founder
Sellar Property Group
“Europe's Tallest: The Shard”
Sorapoj Techakraisri

Sorapoj Techakraisri

CEO
PACE Development Corporation Plc.
“MahaNakhon: Thailand's Tallest”

Session Summary

There couldn’t have been a better way to start Plenary Two, and the second day of the Conference, than with a keynote presentation on the world’s future tallest building, the Kingdom Tower at 1000+ meters. Here, His Excellency Abdulrahman Al Shaikh (Deputy Minister for Town Planning, Ministry of Municipalities & Rural Affairs, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and Mounib Hammoud (CTBUH Trustee and CEO, Jeddah Economic Company) framed the kilometer-high mixed-use tower in the context of Saudi Arabia’s emerging economic presence. Not designed in isolation, Kingdom Tower will become the focal point of an entirely new urban district, Kingdom City, which will have a built-up area of 12,280,945 square meters and include a full range of land uses and amenities set within a network of modern infrastructure.

Next, Irvine Sellar, Founder and Chairman of Sellar Properties, took the stage to discuss the past, present, and future of London’s tallest and most iconic building, The Shard. Since completing in 2013, the tower has redefined the London skyline and has played a key part in the regeneration of London’s South Bank. Sellar said, “It’s been 14 years in the making, and I believe what we’ve created with The Shard is a work of art, a new contour for London’s skyline. It hasn’t been an easy journey, in fact, it’s been realized against all odds. Developments of this nature in the UK are never straight forward, and in London it’s many times more complicated.”

The Asia region was also well represented in the Plenary, as Sorapoj Techakraisri (CEO, PACE Development Corporation PLC) presented the MahaNakhon, a tower in Bangkok, Thailand that will not only be the nation’s tallest, but is intended to forever elevate the image of the city and the country to a global audience. Techakraisri offered three aspects of the project that were critical in achieving this goal: an ideal location in Bangkok’s central business district, mixed programming, and a unique design approach.

Session Photo Gallery