The Twin Towers after being hit by Osama bin Laden's suicide bombers.

The Twin Towers after being hit by Osama bin Laden's suicide bombers. Photo: Reuters

After one of their own destroyed what were once the world's tallest buildings, Saudi Arabia's bin Laden family is in the running to build the world's tallest tower.

The Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York, the world's tallest from 1971 to 1973, were destroyed by plane hijackers as part of a 2001 plot by al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Now, Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has launched a project to build the world's tallest tower in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.

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Prince Alwaleed bin Talal unveils plans for the world's tallest tower in Jeddah.

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal unveils plans for the world's tallest tower in Jeddah. Photo: Reuters

And he plans to use the local construction giant Bin Laden Group to build the tower, which will soar more than 1000 metres into the sky.

The bin Laden family disowned their jihadist relative long before the September 11 terror attacks rocked the world.

If the latest building goes ahead, it will top Dubai's world's highest building, Burj Khalifa.

What the Jeddah tower is expected to look like.

What the Jeddah tower is expected to look like.

The project "will soon see the light after the signing of a $1.2 billion agreement" between Alwaleed's Kingdom Holding Co and Bin Laden Group, Prince Alwaleed said.

It will take three years to build the tower, said the Saudi businessman, a nephew of King Abdullah and one of the kingdom's wealthiest men. He did not say when construction would begin.

Prince Alwaleed said the tower was intended to "send a message of strength" reflecting the OPEC kingpin's economic and political stability.

"Our message is political," he said.

Saudi Arabia has been spared a wave of protests that has rocked the region, leading to the downfall of autocratic rulers in Tunisia and Egypt, despite sporadic small protests staged by Shi'ites in the Eastern Province.

The tower, which will be part of a $US20 billion ($A18.3 billion) project north of Jeddah, would top Dubai's 828-metre Burj Khalifa, which was opened last year.

It will include a hotel, apartments and offices occupying an area of 500,000 square metres.

AFP