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Dubai developer Emaar Properties is planning to build a new tower that will surpass the Burj Khalifa, currently the world’s tallest building.

The government-backed company has not announced the height of the proposed tower, saying only that it would be “a notch” taller than the Burj Khalifa’s 2,717ft (828m).

The $1 billion project is scheduled to be completed for the Dubai Expo trade fair in 2020.Emaar tower Dubai

The new tower is expected to have residential units, a rooftop courtyard and a hotel.

It is designed by Spanish-Swiss neo-futuristic architect Santiago Calatrava Valls and will be supported by a matrix of cables.

The structure’s design means that it is unlikely to be widely recognized as a taller “building” than the Burj Khalifa even if it surpasses it in height, Associated Press reported.

Emaar-built Burj Khalifa is expected to be overtaken by the 0.6 mile-high Kingdom Tower in Jeddah as the world’s tallest building in 2020.

The construction will be the center piece of the redevelopment of the Dubai Creek, the heart of old Dubai. It will also have observation decks and restaurants.

Emaar Properties’ announcement from comes as developers continue to launch new projects amid what experts are saying is a softening real estate sector.

Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Saudi Arabia to meet key Arab leaders, as he tries to build a coalition against Islamic State (ISIS) militants.

A US official was quoted as saying John Kerry would discuss co-operation in Jeddah to facilitate US air strikes.

Earlier, President Barack Obama said he would not hesitate to take action against ISIS in Syria as well as Iraq.

Barack Obama also announced that 475 US military personnel would be sent to Iraq but said they would not have a combat role.

ISIS group controls large parts of Syria and Iraq after a rapid military advance.

Its fighters have become notorious for their brutality, beheading enemy soldiers and Western journalists on video.

Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Saudi Arabia to meet key Arab leaders, as he tries to build a coalition against ISIS militants

Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Saudi Arabia to meet key Arab leaders, as he tries to build a coalition against ISIS militants (photo Reuters)

The US has launched over 150 air strikes against the group in Iraq and has provided arms to Iraqi and Kurdish forces fighting against IS.

John Kerry, who arrived in the Red Sea port of Jeddah on September 11, will hold talks with representatives of Saudi Arabia and other oil-rich Gulf states as well as Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and NATO member Turkey.

“Many of the countries are already taking action against ISIL [Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant – the previous name for ISIS] ,” a State Department official was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

“But the trip by the secretary [John Kerry] is going to broaden the coalition and bring it into more focus and intensify the lines of effort.”

Among the issues to be discussed would be training for Syrian rebels on Saudi soil and a wider over flight permission from regional states to increase the capacity of US aircraft, reports say.

In a 15-minute speech shown at peak time in the US on September 10, President Barack Obama vowed that America would lead “a broad coalition to roll back” ISIS.