The 308m tall Burj Rafal will be the tallest residential building in the Kingdom.

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Saudi Arabia’s tallest residential tower is scheduled to open by June 2013, the developer behind the project has confirmed.

The 308m Burj Rafal, developed by the Saudi based company, Rafal Real Estate Development, will be home to the Kingdom’s first Kempinski Hotel.

Scheduled to be completed within the next eight months, Majed Al Hogail, CEO of Rafal Real Estate said that the project would consist of 70 floors housing 440 residential apartments. It has been constructed on a 20,000m² plot.

“It is situated in a very prominent and prestigious area in the capital, close to King Abdullah Financial City and is set to create a niche of its own world,” Al-Hogail said.

“The tower will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, fully integrated systems, as well as 360 degrees of natural light, and the best utilization of space as well as world-class construction standards, ” he said, adding that the apartments are now open for sale.

Ulrich Eckhardt, president of Middle East Africa Kempinski Hotels, said that the property would be Kempinski’s first entry into the Kingdom. He added that there were plans to supplement the Riyadh hotel with two more hotels, including one in Alkhobar which is scheduled to open this year.

The third property is based in Jeddah and is scheduled to open in 2015.

“The Saudi market is key to us as a company, and we know that it requires a great depth of understanding,” Eckhardt said, adding that having a distinct presence in the Kingdom was an important element in the company’s growth strategy.

The hotel will feature 300 guest rooms and suites, two restaurants, three cafes, conference facilities, a ballroom with a capacity for 2,000 guests, two spas and wellness centres for men and women as well as exclusive retail outlets.