Emaar Properties today unveiled plans for a $1bn tower in Dubai, which is set to be taller than the Burj Khalifa.

The building was described by Emaar as “a new icon” on Dubai’s skyline.

Dubbed simply ‘The Tower’, it is to be the centrepiece of Dubai Creek Harbour, Emaar’s chairman Mohamed Alabbar revealed.

The exact height was not disclosed but Alabbar said it would be “a notch” taller than Emaar’s Burj Khalifa, which is currently the world’s tallest building, according to local media.

The Tower was designed by Santiago Calatrava, the Spanish-Swiss architect. Construction is set to begin soon and the building completed in time for the Expo 2020, it was reported.

The Dubai Creek Harbour development is twice the size of Downtown Dubai, the area around the Burj Khalifa, which Emaar also developed.

Because Emaar did not reveal the exact height, it is not immediately clear whether the building will also be taller than the under-construction Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia, which at 1km high is set to be the world’s tallest building.