The Biggest Skyscrapers Under Construction in the UAE: The Next Generation of Record-Breakers

The United Arab Emirates has never been shy about building tall. The Burj Khalifa has held the title of the world's tallest building since 2010, and rather than resting on that achievement, Dubai has spent the past few years quietly assembling what may be the most ambitious pipeline of supertall towers anywhere on the planet.

Every one of the ten tallest buildings currently under construction in the UAE is rising in Dubai, and several of them rank among the tallest projects under construction anywhere in the world.

For property investors, these towers are more than architectural statements. They signal where capital is flowing, which districts are being repositioned, and how the emirate intends to compete for ultra-high-net-worth residents over the next decade. Here is a closer look at the projects reshaping the skyline.

Burj Azizi: The World's Next Second-Tallest Building

Rising on Sheikh Zayed Road near the World Trade Centre district, Burj Azizi is the headline act. Developed by Azizi Developments on a plot once earmarked for the cancelled Entisar Tower, the skyscraper is planned to reach 725 metres across more than 131 floors.

When complete, it will overtake Kuala Lumpur's 679-metre Merdeka 118 to become the second-tallest building on Earth, behind only the Burj Khalifa.

The roughly AED 6 billion (US$1.63 billion) project is designed by architecture firm AE7 and mixes residences, a hotel billed as "seven-star", retail, restaurants and observation levels. The developer has promised a string of records: an observation deck around level 130 expected to be the highest in the world, a nightclub on level 126, and hotel and dining venues positioned higher than anything currently operating in Dubai.

Construction restarted in earnest in 2024, with completion estimates ranging from 2028 to 2030 depending on the source.

For buyers, the appeal is location as much as height. The tower sits in the heart of the city's commercial spine, minutes from Downtown Dubai and DIFC, which positions it squarely in the market for trophy residences and branded hospitality.

Burj Binghatti Jacob & Co Residences: The Tallest Residential Tower on Earth

In the eastern quarter of Business Bay, Binghatti Properties has partnered with luxury jeweller Jacob & Co on a tower designed to claim the title of the world's tallest residential building.

Published figures for Burj Binghatti Jacob & Co Residences vary between 557 and 595 metres, but either number comfortably exceeds New York's 472-metre Central Park Tower, the current record holder.

The roughly 105-storey "hypertower" draws its crown-like silhouette from Jacob & Co's watchmaking heritage and will contain around 300 homes, including sky mansions and penthouses served by private concierge teams, fitness clubs, sky gardens and a spa.

Ground broke in late 2022, and the developer is targeting completion around 2027. As the first of Dubai's new wave of jeweller- and fashion-branded residences to top out, it is likely to set the pricing benchmark for the category.

Tiger Sky Tower: A Second Contender for the Residential Crown

Directly beside Burj Binghatti, Tiger Sky Tower, a 532-metre, 116-storey residential skyscraper scheduled for handover around 2029.

The project underscores an unusual dynamic: two towers on neighbouring plots are both chasing the world's-tallest-residential title, and both would surpass the current record holder.

Business Bay, once seen as Downtown's commercial overflow district, is being transformed into a vertical luxury quarter in its own right.

Six Senses Residences Dubai Marina: Wellness at 517 Metres

Select Group's collaboration with the Six Senses hospitality brand is bringing a 517-metre residential tower to Dubai Marina.

Once complete, it will be the tallest structure in the Marina and another claimant in the tallest-residential race.

The project leans heavily into the wellness positioning that Six Senses is known for, with longevity-focused amenities woven through the building rather than confined to a single spa floor.

For the Marina, a district whose towers largely date from the 2000s, the project represents a generational refresh at the top of the market.

Uptown Dubai Tower 1: The Sleeping Giant

The most intriguing project on paper is DMCC's Uptown Dubai Tower 1, historically known as Burj 2020. Publicly released plans describe a height of approximately 711 metres and around 115 storeys in the Uptown district beside Jumeirah Lake Towers, with construction activity recorded from late 2025 and completion targeted around 2030.

If delivered at that scale, it would join Burj Azizi in the exclusive club of buildings above 700 metres and would anchor an entirely new commercial district on the southern end of the city.

The Supporting Cast: 300 to 450 Metres

Beneath the headline giants sits a deep bench of supertalls that would have been front-page news a decade ago.

Sobha Realty's Sobha SkyParks on Sheikh Zayed Road is planned at 450 metres and 109 floors with 684 residences, placing it among the five tallest buildings in the country upon completion.

Danube's Bayz 101 in Business Bay is being followed by Bayz 102, a second supertall with more than 950 units.

Nebula Tower, a 90-storey mixed-use project beside DIFC, will combine Grade-A offices with a boutique hotel and branded residences by late 2027.

Downtown Dubai is gaining the blade-shaped Binghatti Skyblade at around 357 metres, along with a 348-metre Rixos-branded residential tower by East & West Properties.

Trump International Hotel & Tower, Mercedes-Benz Places by Binghatti and a 345-metre tower on the Dubai Water Canal round out a pipeline in which brand partnerships are now the rule rather than the exception.

What it unfolds for Investors?

Three patterns stand out. First, the luxury branding wave is accelerating: Jacob & Co, Mercedes-Benz, Six Senses, Rixos, Franck Muller and Trump are all lending their names to towers, reflecting a deliberate strategy of courting global wealth with instantly recognisable labels.

Second, nearly every major project is mixed-use, stacking residences above hotels, observation decks, restaurants and retail to maximise both land value and tourism revenue.

Third, the geography is concentrated. Sheikh Zayed Road, Business Bay, Downtown and Dubai Marina are absorbing almost all of the supertall investment, reinforcing the premium these districts command.

There are also practical considerations. Supertall construction timelines are long and prone to revision, as the varying completion estimates for several of these towers show.

Off-plan buyers should weigh developer track records, payment plan structures and the possibility of handover delays against the upside of entering record-breaking projects at launch pricing.

History in Dubai suggests that towers which capture a genuine world title tend to enjoy enduring recognition and rental demand, but not every branded supertall will perform equally.

What is beyond doubt is the direction of travel. With four of the world's ten tallest under-construction buildings, the tallest planned residential towers on the planet and a second 700-metre-plus giant on the drawing board, the UAE is once again building the skyline the rest of the world will be measured against.

For investors seeking exposure to the top end of the global property market, the view from Dubai has rarely looked higher.

Investing AED 2 million or more may also qualify you for a UAE Golden Visa. Our experts can guide you through both the property purchase and visa process.