World's tallest building opens in blaze of fireworks

THE WORLD’S tallest building, Burj Dubai, was officially opened yesterday in a blaze of spectacular light, sound and fireworks.

Architect of Dubai’s boom and bust Sheikh Muhammad bin Rashid al-Maktoum presided over ceremonies, which featured the story, accompanied by music, of the emirate’s rise from pearl fishing port to global commercial centre.

Fountains in the vast pool at the foot of the 828m (2,716ft) tower shot water high into the air as hundreds of dignitaries and thousands of Dubai’s residents celebrated the completion of Dubai’s most ambitious project.

The steel-ribbed glass tower, renamed Burj Khalifa, in honour of Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, ruler of neighbouring Abu Dhabi, was inspired by a slender, spiky lily found in the desert.

The Burj is more than 300 metres taller than its rival, the Taipai 101 in Taiwan.

It has 160 floors and boasts the world’s highest observation platform on the 124th level.

Staged visits to the platform begin today. But the Burj’s 11,000 apartments will not be ready for occupancy until February and 37 floors of commercial premises will be available later.

Eventually the building will provide accommodation and working space for some 22,000 people.

Construction began in March 2005, involved 12,000 workers from more than 100 countries, and consumed 22 million man-hours.

The cost was $1.5 billion (€1.04 billion), a fraction of the $59 billion debt Dubai has incurred while pursuing such projects.

Mohammed Alabbar, chairman of Emaar, the state-owned firm that built the tower, said that 90 per cent of the office and residential space had been sold and that the company had made a profit of 10 per cent although he had expected to “break even” only.

January 4th was chosen for the ceremonies because the date marks the fourth anniversary of the succession of Sheikh Muhammad. During the past 20 years he has transformed Dubai, an emirate with no oil, into a financial and commercial hub and pricey tourist destination.

Before the Dubai property bubble burst in late 2008, the Burj was a symbol of his go-getter vision for the country. It now represents the emirate’s resilience and determination to regain solvency.