UAE leaps past US in skyscraper showdown

Dubai city skyline

The UAE climbs to second place globally in supertall towers as Dubai leads the charge into the clouds

 

Talk about raising the roof!

The UAE has officially out-towered the United States in the global race for the skies, now ranking second worldwide in buildings over 300 metres tall.

According to new figures from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), the UAE now boasts 37 supertall skyscrapers, just nudging past the US’s 31.

And surprise, surprise; Dubai is leading the charge, with the record-shattering Burj Khalifa (828m) still reigning supreme.

Abu Dhabi lags behind in 41st position with 45 towers, but with all the construction taking place this figure is expected to dramatically increase soon.

While China continues to build sky-high at warp speed with a jaw-dropping 122 supertall towers, the UAE is making a strong vertical push, proving that the future of architecture is looking way up.

Across the board, the UAE now stands tall in third place globally for total tall buildings, clocking in with:

345 buildings over 150m

159 over 200m

37 over 300m

Dubai’s skyline is a bold statement of innovation, ambition, and architectural swagger. From glitzy penthouses to mind-bending engineering feats, the city is literally raising the bar.

Meanwhile, the US, once the OG of skyscrapers, is hanging onto its spot with icons like One World Trade Center (541m), but its place in the skyline race is slowly being overtaken by the East.

China, unsurprisingly, continues to dominate with skyscraper cities like Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou; home to beasts like the Shanghai Tower (632m) and Ping An Finance Center (599m).

So, if you’re wondering where the skyline of the future is being built, look no further than the UAE. The competition may be stiff, but the UAE is proving it’s got serious altitude attitude.

 

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Shane Reynolds

An Irish man living in the Middle East for almost ten years, Shane has his finger on the pulse of all things social in Dubai and when he’s not writing for Yalla you can find him DJing in some of the hottest night spots.