Tuesday, January 05, 2010

The world's tallest building

Although it technically became the world's tallest building over two years ago, the Tower Formerly Known as Burj Dubai is now officially open:

In a glitzy firework-lit ceremony, the city-state's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum unveiled a plaque commemorating the event and also announced that the $1.5 billion structure has a new name: the Burj Khalifa.

Named after Khalifa Bin Zayed, the president of the United Arab Emirates -- and ruler of Abu Dhabi, which recently bailed out debt-ridden Dubai to the tune of $10 billion -- the tower was officially recorded as 828 meters tall, adding 10 meters on to previous height claims.

Six years in the making, and now 319 meters higher than previous skyscraping record-holder Taipei 101, Dubai's newest edifice commands dizzying views of the ambitious building program that has transformed the emirate.

While Seabee combats some misconceptions about the sudden name change - for example, Abu Dhabi does not "own" the tower - I still think that the fact that Dubai's signature piece of architecture now bears the name of the ruler of the adjacent emirate speaks volumes about the current political and financial relationship between Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Anyway, at 2,717 feet, or over one-half mile, in height, it is the tallest structure ever built by humankind. Pretty impressive. And I got to witness its construction!

1 comment:

Seabee said...

I still think that the fact that Dubai's signature piece of architecture now bears the name of the ruler of the adjacent emirate speaks volumes about the current political and financial relationship between Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

It does indeed.

I have the feeling that it also may represent the leaders catching up with the sentiments of the people. I've posted in my "Old Dubai' pieces how in the mid-eighties (when I left Dubai after my first stay) the word 'Emirati' was never used and the flags flying everywhere were not the national flag but the red & white of Dubai.

There's been a huge change, witnessed every National Day, and by the replacement of the emirate flag by the national flag and the routine use of the word 'Emirati' by nationals to describe themselves.