Kingdom Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Height: 302 meters

Cost to build: US$458 million

Completion date: 2002

Fast fact: Ladies Kingdom claims to have "almost every thing a female would need" -- even a ladies’ bank and a ladies' mosque.
Some observers have drawn a connection between the Kingdom Center and a shovel stuck in the sand; a somewhat misplaced comparison for the tallest building in Saudi Arabia. 

But get this: Riyadh building code forbids any building with more than 30 usable floors, but doesn’t impose height restrictions. So, thanks to the big void in the new Saudi Arabian icon, only 30 floors are used for normal purposes. 

It features an area offering a refreshing break from usual social norms in the region, with a shopping mall that includes a female-only "Ladies Kingdom," an entire floor designated for women to shop freely without needing to be covered. 

Overall structure

For those with a head for heights, this is certainly an unmissable experience.  Free parking underneath the Kingdom Centre - take the escalators up to the shopping mall and follow signs for Sky Bridge.  You ascend via the Express Lift, itself very magical as it is decked out with tiny LED lights, some of which are done as shooting stars, so you feel as if you are surrounded by the night sky - watch out, your ears will "pop".  This first lift takes you up to the 77th floor, whereupon the concierge will greet you and charge you SRL 25 per person (2007 rates).  You then take another separate lift up to the 99th floor.  You enter onto the Sky Bridge which affords a 360 degree panorama of Riyadh.  Try and get there just before dusk and catch the sun setting over the desert - this happens quite quickly as they don't have twilight as you find in the UK.  From then on you see the city changing as all the lights are turned on - they love their neon lights here...  The upside down arch beneath the Sky Bridge is also illuminated and slowly changes colour from white to yellow and green and blue.  There is a chap up there who will take your photograph (at a charge) but you can take your own pictures too. Thoroughly recommended.