The Sky Bridge
A glazed deck at three hundred metres spanning the arms of the arch.
King Eliot — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Francisco Anzola — CC BY 2.0 · Sammy Six — CC BY 2.0 · User:Bipinkdas — CC BY-SA 4.0
The tower that became Riyadh's skyline, best known for the arched opening at its summit and the bridge slung across it. It stands three hundred and thirty-two metres, was completed in 2002, and its distinctive shape — an open arch through the top of the building — is not only decorative: the upper section is deliberately hollowed to reduce wind loading, and it gives the tower the outline it is known by. The Sky Bridge spans the two arms of the arch at about three hundred metres, a glazed observation deck looking out over Riyadh in every direction — a flat city running to the horizon with no clear edge, a view that explains the scale of the place better than any figure. The best time is shortly before sunset: you see the city by day and then as a grid of lights, and one visit gives you both. Tickets are usually booked online and the ascent takes two successive lifts. The tower also holds a shopping centre, restaurants and a hotel, with one floor of the mall reserved for women. An hour is enough, and it is one of the easiest things to add to an evening in Riyadh.
A glazed deck at three hundred metres spanning the arms of the arch.
A flat city running to the horizon with no clear edge — the view explains its scale.
Part of the mall inside the tower is reserved for women.
King Fahd Road, Olaya, Riyadh
Kingdom Centre is taller and its Sky Bridge gives the wider and better-known view; it is the first choice. The nearby Faisaliah Tower has a glass sphere at its summit with a restaurant and a view, and its advantage is that it looks back at Kingdom Centre — the finer shape on Riyadh's skyline. For the photograph, go up Faisaliah; for the view, Kingdom Centre.
The bridge is fully glazed on both sides with a solid, non-transparent floor, which makes it easier than decks with glass flooring. Even so the height is felt and the space is fairly narrow, so anyone with a strong fear may not be comfortable.
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