jbg Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 (edited) The Arab countries provide ample fodder for admiration and envy. Saudi Arabia has embarked on the construction of a much-needed building, the world's tallest skyscraper. The building is set to soar 1 km. over the Red Sea. This building will continue the amazing wave of progress and accomplishment that characterizes the Arab world. (link, excerpts below) Saudi Arabia to begin building world’s tallest skyscraper The Kingdom Tower in Jeddah will be 1km tall, dwarfing the current tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai Kingdom Tower will soar above The Shard and the 2,722 ft Burj Khalifa in Dubai Photo: Mace By Ben Lazarus 4:21PM BST 18 Apr 2014 Saudi Arabia is scheduled to begin building the world’s tallest tower next week, which will soar 1km in to the sky when completed. The Kingdom Tower in the coastal city of Jeddah will measure 3,280 feet (1km), some 568 feet (173 meters) taller than the current Guinness world record holder, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, which stands at 2,716 feet (827 metres). At an estimated cost of $1.23bn, the tower in Saudi will require approximately 5.7 million square feet of concrete, 80,000 tonnes of steel for its 200 floors and will take five years to complete, according to The Saudi Gazette. The tower, overlooking the Red Sea, will feature a five-star Four Seasons hotel, apartments, office space and an observatory. But constructing the tower is not without its many challenges. (snip) Edited April 19, 2014 by jbg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonam Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 I actually think that's really cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argus Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 (edited) Saudi Arabia might fund it, but Saudis will definitely not design, build or maintain it. They are not capable of designing such a building, and they disdain manual labour, so they're certainly not going to get their handsy dirty putting it up. Like all other construction projects in Saudi Arabia, it will require western designers and supervisors, and a third world construction crew. The irony is that this, and other such glittering towers in the middle east, are meant as a sign of pride, to show the world how modern and technically capable these countries are, but everyone knows it does just the opposite. The title of this topic is thus poorly chosen. Saudis have made _no_ strides in skyscraper construction. Edited April 19, 2014 by Argus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Squid Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 They can afford the architects, materials and builders.... How much of that is "Saudi innovation" I don't know....probably not much, if any at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 Meh....cheap foreign labour was used (and abused) to build railroads in Canada and the U.S. Arab culture has certainly made major contributions in areas such as math, astronomy, architecture, and other disciplines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
On Guard for Thee Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 Not to mention chopping off hands, denying women a vote, and genital manipulation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argus Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 Meh....cheap foreign labour was used (and abused) to build railroads in Canada and the U.S. Arab culture has certainly made major contributions in areas such as math, astronomy, architecture, and other disciplines. Really? Can you name the last time that happened? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngusThermopyle Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 Okay I just have to ask, what's wrong with genital manipulation? Frankly I think genital manipulation can provide lots of harmless fun, unless you go blind that is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 Really? Can you name the last time that happened? The last time that Canada or the U.S. imported cheaper foreign workers ? It's happening right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWWTT Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 Really? Can you name the last time that happened? Canada's temporary foreign workers program that the conservatives are giving to the demands of corporations. Excellent text book example of selective memory! WWWTT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbg Posted April 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 Arab culture has certainly made major contributions in areas such as math, astronomy, architecture, and other disciplines.Really? Can you name the last time that happened?Ancient history. Not for about one thousand years. Not to mention chopping off hands, denying women a vote, and genital manipulation.One of the few times I'll agree with "On Guard for Thee." Those are the major modern Arab accomplishments. Except that the vote is relatively meaningless in these countries and a think he means "genital mutilation" rather than "genital manipulation." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
On Guard for Thee Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 Ancient history. Not for about one thousand years. One of the few times I'll agree with "On Guard for Thee." Those are the major modern Arab accomplishments. Except that the vote is relatively meaningless in these countries and a think he means "genital mutilation" rather than "genital manipulation." Quite correct. I realized after I posted I hadn't used a strong enough word. My travels have shown me that a lot of what gets done nowadays, at least the so called "big ticket items" are done by others and paid for by the fact there is a big pool of oil under the sand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWWTT Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 This comment is taken from the link provided: “At this point in time we can build a tower that is one kilometer, maybe two kilometers. Any higher than that and we will have to do a lot of homework,” he said. I would have thought that just a 1KM tower would take a lot of "Homework". But hey what do I know? If I had 1.3B to blow, it wouldn't be on one building that's for sure! Sounds like a big waste of money to me! WWWTT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWWTT Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 Saudi Arabia might fund it, but Saudis will definitely not design, build or maintain it. They are not capable of designing such a building, and they disdain manual labour, so they're certainly not going to get their handsy dirty putting it up. Like all other construction projects in Saudi Arabia, it will require western designers and supervisors, and a third world construction crew. The irony is that this, and other such glittering towers in the middle east, are meant as a sign of pride, to show the world how modern and technically capable these countries are, but everyone knows it does just the opposite. The title of this topic is thus poorly chosen. Saudis have made _no_ strides in skyscraper construction. Don't think any kind of structure of this magnitude can be entirely designed and built by one nation. WWWTT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argus Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Don't think any kind of structure of this magnitude can be entirely designed and built by one nation. WWWTT The only contribution Saudis will make will be paying for it with the money foreigners give them for the oil foreigners discovered, developed, and produce on their land. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 The only contribution Saudis will make will be paying for it with the money foreigners give them for the oil foreigners discovered, developed, and produce on their land. Do you mean like the 70% foreign owned bitumen and oil production in Canada ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
On Guard for Thee Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Do you mean like the 70% foreign owned bitumen and oil production in Canada ? Yes but we only chop off about 70% of peoples hands here. We like to leave them with enough of their fingers to at least, oh pick their nose or something like that. Have you ever been in Saudi BTW? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbg Posted April 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Don't think any kind of structure of this magnitude can be entirely designed and built by one nation. WWWTT What other country helped build the Empire State Building in the early 1930's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 The Empire State Building used lots of immigrant labour. High walking steel workers were famously Native American, some from Canada. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argus Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 (edited) Do you mean like the 70% foreign owned bitumen and oil production in Canada ? Congratulations on a magnificently ignorant comment, well up to (down to) your usual standards. Canada produces numerous engineers of every variety. The oil sands within Canada are being developed by numerous Canadian owned companies with Canadian engineers and oil workers. The point I was clearly making was that there is no such participation on the part of Saudis. Their entire infrastructure for their oil industry was developed and built by foreigners and is maintained by foreigners. If you moved all the foreigners out of Saudi Arabia they wouldn't be able to maintain production because there are almost no Saudis who know anything about how to run the operations. Where is there equivilent of Surge Energy, Raging River Exploration, Whitecap Resources, Tourmaline Oil, Torc Oil & Gas, Rock Energy, Bellatrix Exploration, RMP Energy, Black Diamond Group, Badger Daylighting, Interpipeline, Pembina Pipeline, Enbridge, Trans Canada and the like? The answer is they don't exist. And if they did, they'd be staffed by foreigners. Edited April 21, 2014 by Argus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 (edited) Congratulations on a magnificently ignorant comment, well up to (down to) your usual standards. Canada produces numerous engineers of every variety. The oil sands within Canada are being developed by numerous Canadian owned companies with Canadian engineers and oil workers. The point I was clearly making was that there is no such participation on the part of Saudis.... It is clear that you have difficulty with such comparisons because of a consistently displayed bias and ignorance. In another thread, you made similar misinformed comments about Russian cultural contributions. The general point remains with respect to foreign investment and workers (of all types) for historical resource development in Saudi Arabia and Canada. Canadian companies do not own a majority of bitumen and petroleum production in Canada. Saudi undergraduate and graduate education occurs within and outside of the country, just as some Canadian students are educated outside of Canada. The history of petroleum development in Saudi Arabia is well documented and pre-dates any significant efforts in Canada. Production leases and royalty payments were/are just as in Canada, and more favorable to the kingdom. Pipelines and companies were influenced by world wars and dominated by "empires" with and without monarchs over the past 100 years. One can only guess as to why Saudi Arabia is being held to a different standard. I wish the Saudis the best of luck in their efforts to meet the challenges in building such a "skyscraper". Edited April 21, 2014 by bush_cheney2004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWWTT Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 What other country helped build the Empire State Building in the early 1930's? Without doing a search on it I can not say. From the tone of your question I would assume you're implying that no other country helped? What about the statue of Liberty? But the Saudi's are the one funding the project, so ultimately they own it! Same thing with NASA accomplishments. Lots of former nazi scientists helped out there to! But the USA was flipping the bill. WWWTT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWWTT Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 What other country helped build the Empire State Building in the early 1930's? Forgot the most important thing to add to this debate that everyone has ignored! When you build a structure (God knows I have) you have to start with a dream or a vision of what you want to build! Construction is not an easy task! And the right minds/power/recourses/know how has to be applied. This is Saudi's project and like BC, I wish them the best in this historical landmark signature monument!!! WWWTT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWWTT Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 The only contribution Saudis will make will be paying for it with the money foreigners give them for the oil foreigners discovered, developed, and produce on their land. Ok I got it! You don't like Saudi Arabia. WWWTT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Guy Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Just because they are Islamic that does not mean that they are either stupid or have tunnel vision. They know that their economy is kept healthy because of their natural resource - oil. They also know that their oil will not last forever or that most countries are looking for ways to decrease their dependence on oil. They have to plan for the future. They have to use current resources to prepare a new non-oil based economy. They have just announced a $109 billion solar power project. Tourism is also a priority in their planning. They have also been using petro dollars to invest in real estate all over the world - including Canada. As to the skyscraper, lotsa luck. It's your money and you can spend it any way you want. I hope I live long enough to visit and have a walk out that platform. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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