The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, a nonprofit organization, keeps accurate and detailed records of the tallest buildings in the world. They decide where the buildings rank on the list based on the building’s highest floor level and the height of the top of the building and its roof. Below you can find more information on the top five tallest skyscrapers in the world:

1. Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Construction began on the Burj Khalifa in 2004 in was open to the public in 2010, giving it the title of the world’s tallest skyscraper. It is 828 meters long or 2,717 feet tall. There are 163 total floors in the building. Located in downtown Dubai’s sophisticated business district, the Skidmore, Owings and Merrill architectural firm helped design and create the building. The building cost $1.5 billion to make and is a mixed use development with spaces for homes, offices, and an Armani Hotel. The Armani hotel features elegant and sophisticated furnishings and designs from the elite Armani fashion house. To date, it also holds the world records for the highest: nightclub, restaurant, service elevator, observation deck, and number of floors.

2. Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower in Mecca, Saudi Arabia
The Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower is famous for being the tallest hotel in the world. It was developed by the Saudi Binladin Group and can hold up to 100,000 people. Completed in 2012, it has 120 floors and is 1,971 feet tall. The building also has 94 elevators and 5 escalators inside. The glass mosaic design and clock add a touch of elegance to the hotel’s postmodern architecture. The Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower was also awarded with the title of the world’s largest clock face. The hotel is close by the Masjid al Haram, a world famous mosque.

3. Taipei 101 (or Taipei World Financial Center) in Taipei, China
This building was originally the tallest skyscraper in the world until the Burj Khalifa opened in 2010. Taipei 101 was created in a joint effort by C.Y. Lee & partners and KTRT Joint Venture . It was built in 2004 and at 1,670 feet, it has 101 total floors. The building is owned by the Taipei Financial Center Corporation and is considered by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system to be one of the most energy efficient buildings in the world.

4. Shanghai World Financial Center in Shanghai, China
Built in 2008, this building has 101 floors and is 1,614 feet tall. Shanghai World Financial Center is located in the busy financial district in Shanghai. It was designed and built by Mori Building Company and Kohn Pedersen Fox. The building cost $1.20 billion to make and was created for: shopping malls, offices, hotels, conference rooms, and observation decks.

5. International Commerce Center in West Kowloon, Hong Kong
The International Commerce Center has a total of 118 floors and is 1,588 feet tall. It took eight total years for the building to be complete, and was opened to the public in 2010. The building is used for multiple purposes including a hotel, observation deck, and office space. There is also space for retail shops that companies can lease to expand their locations. The center has 30 passenger lists and 14 shuttle lifts to help people get around the building. MTR Corporation Limited and Sun Hung Kai Properties worked together to create it. The International Commerce Center is the tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong and is considered the world’s third tallest building based on its number of floors. It still holds the current title of having the world’s highest swimming pool on the top of the 118th floor.

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Lisa Davenport is a structural engineer and guest author at Best Online Engineering, where she has contributed several useful articles such as her latest on top-rated online masters in engineering management degree programs.