Burj Khalifa 🇦🇪

Burj Khalifa is a megatall skyscraper located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, situated at the First Interchange along Sheikh Zayed Road near the city's main business district. Rising to a total height of 829.8 meters (2,722 feet) with a spire reaching 828 meters, it is the tallest structure in the world. Originally named Burj Dubai during its development, the tower was renamed at its official 2010 opening in honor of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the former president of the United Arab Emirates, following federal financial backing during the Great Recession. The skyscraper forms the central element of the 490-acre Downtown Dubai development created by Emaar Properties.

Designed by architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the tower draws inspiration from regional Islamic architecture, such as the Great Mosque of Samarra. Its Y-shaped tripartite floor layout optimizes space for residences and hotels, while a buttressed central core provides structural stability. Construction started in January 2004, utilizing reinforced concrete, steel salvaged from East Berlin's demolished Palace of the Republic, and an exterior cladding system of reflective glass, aluminum, and stainless steel designed to endure severe desert heat. The exterior was completed in 2009, and the building became fully operational in January 2011.

The mixed-use skyscraper features 163 floors housing a range of facilities. The lower levels contain the 304-room Armani Hotel, while upper levels hold 900 residential apartments, corporate offices, and sky lobbies equipped with swimming pools. On the 122nd floor, guests can visit the At.mosphere restaurant, while an outdoor observation deck called At the Top is positioned on the 124th floor. The building incorporates 57 elevators—including double-deck elevators traveling up to 10 meters per second—and 8 escalators to move occupants throughout the structure.

Outside the tower, the surrounding complex features 7.4 acres of parkland, residential skyscrapers, the Dubai Mall, and the 30-acre artificial Burj Khalifa Lake. Set within the lake is the Dubai Fountain, a 270-meter-long choreographed water installation equipped with 6,600 lights and 50 colored projectors that launches water 150 meters into the air alongside music. In addition to its architectural height records, the tower holds records for the world's longest traveling elevators, the highest restaurant, the highest New Year fireworks display, and the largest single-building light and sound show.

Burj Khalifa in pictures