A Chinese construction firm is planning to snatch Dubai’s status as home to the world’s tallest building, but has drawn criticism for claims it plans to complete the 838m tower within seven months.


A model of the Sky-high City project, to be built in the central Chinese city of Changsha, was unveiled at the weekend with developers claiming it will be completed by the end of the year, the Modern Express newspaper reported.


Burj Khalifa took six years to build, while the Chinese company behind Sky-high City, which will be 10m taller than the Dubai skyscraper, plan to construct the building in just over half a year.

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Sky-high City will have 220 floors and provide housing, dining, shopping and medical services, but commentators have criticised the backers’ ambitious construction schedule.


“The construction company said the new tower is being constructed of steel prepared prior to the start of the building work and that the process is as simple as building blocks, making it easy to complete in several months,” China Radio International (CRI), an English-language news agency, said in its report.


“Construction experts have issued warnings about the company's lack of experience in building high towers and the possible risks involved,” CRI added.


However, Burj Khalifa and Sky-high City will both be surpassed by Jeddah’s 1km tall Kingdom Tower, which is being developed by backers including Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud’s Kingdom Holding Company and Saudi Binladen Group.


With a total construction area of over 500,000 sq m, Kingdom Tower will be a mixed-use building featuring a Four Seasons hotel, serviced apartments, office space, luxury condominiums and an observatory.


Construction, which started earlier this year, is expected to take a total of 63 months.


The contract for construction of the tower was signed with Saudi Binladen Group for SAR4.6bn (US$1.2bn) with the overall estimated cost of the Kingdom City Jeddah project projected at SAR75bn (US$20bn).