Mohamed Alabbar plans US$5 billion Bangkok tower project

Mohamed Alabbar, the Emirati developer behind Dubai's Burj Khalifa, says he plans a US$5 billion mixed-use project in Bangkok and would like to build the world's tallest tower there if Thai rules allow it. The Thaiger reported the plan on Thursday, citing his interview with THE STANDARD WEALTH.

Alabbar founded Emaar Properties and later Eagle Hills, both based in the United Arab Emirates. Emaar is known for the Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Mall, two of the best-known real estate landmarks in the Middle East.

Mohamed Alabbar's Bangkok plan in numbers

According to the report, the project is at an advanced negotiating stage. These are the main figures he gave:

• Initial investment of about US$5 billion, or roughly 160 to 170 billion baht.
• Around 20 to 30 rai (32,000 to 48,000 square metres) of leased land in Bangkok.
• A mix of homes, shops, offices and hotels around one landmark tower.
• Three to five years of development, with the first year spent on design and permits.
• Construction expected to start about 18 months into the process.

The exact site has not been made public. Alabbar said his team had studied Bangkok for four years and spent about 18 months on the current deal, and he hoped to sign within one to two weeks.

Eagle Hills first, Emaar may follow

Eagle Hills would lead the investment at first, with Emaar possibly joining later to develop the retail and hotel parts. Thailand would be Eagle Hills' first market in Southeast Asia, and Indonesia is being considered next.

Alabbar said the tower would be the project's centrepiece and that he would welcome the chance to build the tallest building in the world, depending on regulations and government approval. He also stressed that the design should reflect Thai identity and that Thai architects should play a leading role.

He has history with the Thai government. He met officials under former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin in 2024 to discuss investment and talked then about new construction methods for super-tall buildings that use less conventional concrete.

Why the timing stands out

The announcement comes during a difficult period for Thai property. Developers have reported slower sales and weaker demand, and The Thaiger noted that foreign tourist arrivals fell 4.59% in the first ten months of 2026 compared with a year earlier.

Alabbar said he focuses on long-term growth, as his projects usually run for 10 to 15 years. He called Bangkok the living heart of Asia and said tourism in the city was still growing by around 3%. He pointed to a past project in a European country whose economy shrank by 1% in its launch year and then grew 5% over the next three years.

Coastal resort and Khlong Toei interest

The Bangkok tower may not be his only Thai venture. Alabbar said he would like to buy or lease 3,000 to 4,000 rai of coastal land for a large resort, though he did not name a province. He also said Eagle Hills would consider helping redevelop the Khlong Toei Port area if the government opens it to private investors.

For Phuket, a coastal resort plan of that size would be worth watching, since the island and nearby Phang Nga are among the few areas with the infrastructure for big international projects. Readers following the local market can compare this with our Phuket property market analysis and our guide to whether foreigners can buy property in Phuket. Bangkok's current skyline is covered in our look at the Baiyoke Sky Tower.

No agreement has been signed yet, and Thai authorities have not commented publicly on height limits for the proposed tower.

Image: Bangkok skyline, where Mohamed Alabbar plans his tower project. Photo by Bernard Spragg, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.