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Burj Khalifa is the tallest skyscraper in the world. Burj Khalifa Tower in Dubai: Ticket Prices and Tips

01.08.2023

Would you like to touch the clouds? I think yes, since you opened this article Burj Khalifa attracts many tourists to Dubai. Sometimes they go there just for her sake. Even just tourists, not romantics or dreamers, cannot ignore the famous tower. It will be an eyesore, feeling like a mirage in the light haze of the hot Dubai air.

Yes, its height is amazing, but did you think that this is where its unusualness ends? After all, everyone is just talking about height? Let's figure out whether it's worth spending money on expensive tickets and how to save money if you decide to climb it.

In 2018, Burj Khalifa (aka Burj Dubai) is still considered the tallest in the history of mankind - 828 meters and 163 floors. Tourists cannot go up to the very top floor. The highest level available to tourists is located on the 148th floor - the observation deck “at the Top Sky”. But most of it is limited to visiting the “at the Top” site on the 124th–125th floor. Why?

The Burj Khalifa Tower is, first of all, a business center with offices and apartments, almost half of which are empty. Neither foreigners nor locals want to live behind glass and concrete. The infrastructure of the tower is well developed.

Outdoor area At the Top

On the 1st to 39th floors there is one of the best world-class business hotels - Armani 5*, the design and interior of which was personally developed by Giorgio Armani.

At.mosphere on the 122nd floor is far from the most sophisticated restaurant in Dubai in terms of interiors and cuisine. The main feature is the panoramic views of the city, and therefore people come here not only to dine. But more on that later.

In addition, Burj Dubai broke records for the highest swimming pool (76), nightclub (144) and mosque (158). All this beauty is served by 57 elevators, only one of which rises directly from the first floor to the last.

Don't forget that the Burj Khalifa is like any other public place.

Ticket prices and how to save

It doesn’t matter as part of an excursion or on your own, you have to pay to climb the Burj Khalifa. Many people find the cost of admission unreasonably high. The cheapest excursion to Burj Dubai (level 124–125 at sunset) that I found cost $65 per person. This price includes the climb to the observation deck, WiFi in the tower and binoculars.

During the excursion, everything is clear - tickets will be issued for you. When inspecting on your own, you need to buy a ticket yourself on the website tickets.atthetop.ae, preferably at home. Tickets at the entrance to the tower are significantly more expensive than through the website. Tickets can be purchased up to 30 days in advance. For upcoming dates, prices are significantly higher than in 4 or more days.


At the foot of the Burj Khalifa are the famous “singing fountains” and the Dubai Mall

Note! Tickets on the site must be paid for with your personal card! That is, the one on which your last name and first name are written. Take it with you. When receiving tickets at the box office, along with an electronic printed confirmation, they may ask for the bank card with which the transaction took place and check your full name with your passport!

The entrance and ticket office to the Burj Khalifa are located, oddly enough, in the Dubai Mall on the GF floor (where the parking is). In the Dubai Mall, At the Top is indicated everywhere, so it’s difficult to get lost. At the entrance to the tower you will be asked for tickets. If you purchased your tickets online, they will tell you where to pick them up.

When planning an excursion, be sure to take into account the weather forecast. In fog or a dust storm it is unlikely that you will be able to enjoy the views. When getting up at sunset/dawn, take into account the time of sunset/dawn itself. And then there were incidents

Even though the Burj Khalifa does not participate in, I highly recommend checking it out. With its help, an ordinary average family of three saves at least 250 USD per week on food and entertainment. .

At the Top, Burj Khalifa

The At the Top observation deck is located on floors 124 and 125. Ticket prices:

At the Top Ticket from 09.00 to 15.30 and from 18.30 to 23:00 from 16.00 to 18.00
Adult from 12 years old 141 AED 221 AED
Children from 4 to 11.99 years 111 AED 181 AED
Children up to 4 years old for free for free

The cost of tickets depends on the time of rise (from 9:00 to 23:00, every half hour).

During the daytime they are the cheapest. As for me, there is nothing to do there during the day. The gray faded city does not make the right impression. The only advantage of a daytime visit is the absence of queues, and even then not always.

The time you stay inside doesn't matter. That is, you can buy a ticket for 11 am and spend the whole day on the observation deck. Nobody will kick you out. There's just not much to do there. There is no cafe/restaurant on the observation deck, there is not even anywhere to sit - everyone sits on the floor. As a result, tourists do not stay at the sites for more than two hours.


The best time to visit the tower is sunset hours (from 16:00 to 18:00). They are also the most expensive and popular - while waiting for the rise, guests of the tower can stand in line for an hour and a half. However, I recommend this particular time, so you will see both daytime Dubai and evening Dubai with its lights and fountain shows.

A small and logical life hack for saving money - take the rise at 15:30. I don’t recommend taking evening time, but it’s still better than a purely “daytime” time.

At the Top, Burj Khalifa SKY

The SKY observation deck is located on the 148th floor. Cost of visit:

Ticket At the Top SKY from 19:00 to 22:00 from 09:30 to 18:00
Adult from 12 years old 375 AED 530 AED
Children from 4 to 12 years old 375 AED 530 AED
Children up to 4 years old for free for free

For this money, guests of the tower have access to both the 148th floor and 125-124. However, you won’t be able to move between them without hindrance - first 148, then descending to 124–125. The time spent at the observation decks is not limited.

The features of this program include not only the height of the level, but also accompaniment by a tour guide + a welcome drink and cake in Lounge SKY. In addition, level 148 is more suitable for long waits - there are quite enough sofas and armchairs.


At the Top SKY is significantly smaller than the sites on levels 124–125, but there are not many people here.

The Lounge, Burj Khalifa

The world's tallest lounge opened in Burj Khalifa in February 2019. It is located on floors 152, 153 and 154, that is, almost 30 floors above the main observation deck At The Top and 4 above the SKY platform.

The Lounge is not an observation deck in the traditional sense, although the views are excellent and there is also an open area. This place is primarily created for a pleasant pastime and communication: guests are offered non-alcoholic sweet drinks, tea, coffee, champagne (in the evenings), as well as snacks and desserts. After sunset there are live music performances.

Prices are high, but if you have the money, it's worth a visit. Entrance tickets can also be purchased on the official website (prices per person, regardless of age):

Program Time
Tea in the clouds 12:30 – 14:30 15:00 – 17:00
AED 600 AED 600
Bubbly Sundowner 17:30 – 19:00
AED 649
Cocktails under the stars 19:30 – 21:00 21:30 – 00:00
AED 600 AED 600

Additional services and excursions

In addition to direct tickets to the observation decks, you can purchase additional excursions on the official website:

  • Dubai Ferry (boat trip from Marina to Shindaga, Bur Dubai) - from 50 AED;
  • Museum of History of the Emirates Etihad Museum - from 25 AED;
  • Dubai Fountains: evening ride on a traditional abra boat around the dancing fountains - 68.25 AED;
  • Dubai Fountain from a floating platform (Boardwalk) - from 20 AED;
  • At the Top (hereinafter referred to as ATT) at sunset + Boardwalk fountains - from 155 AED;
  • ATT + aquarium in Dubai Mall - from 190 AED;
  • ATT+ lunch at Armani Deli restaurant - from 295 AED;
  • ATT + dinner on the roof of The Burj Club restaurant overlooking the fountains - from 275 AED;
  • ATT at sunrise with breakfast (Fridays and Saturdays) - from 135 AED;
  • Fast track access to the At the Top observation deck - from 315 AED.

At.mosphere: restaurant and lounge

I often hear from tourists that instead of the Burj Khalifa observation decks, it is more profitable to visit the At.mosphere restaurant or lounge on the 122nd floor. In principle, I even agree, but with an amendment - it’s more profitable not in terms of money, but in terms of atmosphere. This is a very prestigious place for lunch with business partners or a romantic dinner. There are no “random” people here. To achieve this, At.mosphere not only has a strict dress code, but also a minimum order amount rule:

The Restaurant Atmosphere:

  • breakfast: set - 350 AED; a la carte - 200 AED;
  • lunch: 220 AED regardless of table location;
  • dinner: 880 AED for tables by the window, 580 AED for others.

At.mosphere Lounge:

  • lunch: 250 AED for tables by the window, unlimited for others;
  • afternoon tea: AED 515 for window tables, AED 440 for others.

In addition, there are restrictions on the age of guests. Lounge: from 12:00 to 17:00 children over 10 years old are allowed. From 17:00 to 02:00 over 21 years old. Restaurant: breakfast - no age restrictions. Lunch and dinner - over 10 years.

As you can see, the amounts are substantial. But those who come here to “show off” and “for show” are far from poor people. Should observation decks be replaced by an At.mosphere restaurant or lounge? If funds allow, then I think it’s possible.


Restaurant At.mosphere

Is it worth going up to the Burj Khalifa observation decks themselves? As for me, you should only go up if you have “extra” money. Rarely is a tourist truly delighted with what he sees. For the price of tickets, everyone expects something “Wow”, but somehow it doesn’t work out. Therefore, I shift the answer to you - I really don’t know whether you will like it or not

DownTown and Burj Khalifa: video

I recommend watching a very cool video review of the DownTown area (where the Burj Khalifa is located) from the YouTube channel MilesAway. There is no point in looking at just one tower, as there are many equally interesting places around

Last minute tours to the Emirates:

Address: UAE, Dubai
Start of construction: 2004
Completion of construction: 2010
Height: 828 m
Author of the project: Adrian Smith
Coordinates: 25°11"48.9"N 55°16"26.7"E

After petrodollars poured into the United Arab Emirates like a stormy river, allowing the country to become one of the richest in the world in just a few years, officials, as well as ordinary local residents, developed an irresistible craving for luxury.

Burj Khalifa skyscraper at night

The UAE should have the best, the most beautiful and the biggest. The prefix “most” has become a kind of motto for all seven Emirates that are part of the federal state. The majestic skyscraper Burj Khalifa in the city of Dubai, built in just six years and breaking a huge number of world records, can easily be considered confirmation of the above.

The official opening of the city within the city took place in January 2010. To be fair, it is worth noting that the economic crisis also affected the UAE: under favorable conditions and sufficient funding, the skyscraper would have been opened in early autumn 2009. The height of the skyscraper, which with its appearance puts a tourist who comes to Dubai for the first time into silent shock, is 828 meters! The number of floors of this tallest building on our planet is 163. Even during the construction of the skyscraper, it was supposed to be called “Burj Dubai”, which translated into Russian means “Dubai Tower”. “Such a majestic building should be called majestic, and not simply, as was previously planned. From now on, the tallest skyscraper in the world will bear the name of our great Caliph Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan. Forever, this greatest architectural structure will be named Burj Khalifa!” said Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, in his fiery speech at the opening ceremony.

General view of the Burj Khalifa skyscraper

History of construction

In between falconry, jeep racing in the desert and shopping for the popular oldest football clubs in Europe, which, by the way, rich sheikhs casually call “football shopping”, influential persons of the state decided to build something in the UAE that would attract the attention of the whole world community. This is how the idea of ​​building the largest skyscraper in the world, Burj Khalifa, was born. To develop a project for a city within a city, which would have its own boulevards, lawns, fountains and even shaded squares, was entrusted to a reputable architectural bureau, which since 1936 has proven itself only from the best sides - Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. The author of this unique project was Adrian Smith, who became famous for his skyscraper project in the Middle Kingdom. True, the height of the Chinese building was “only” “some” 420 meters. Smith had to break his own record, and not just beat it, but surpass it exactly twice.

It was decided to make the shape of the skyscraper asymmetrical: this would allow such a giant not to sway from gusts of wind, which are already quite noticeable at an altitude of 600 meters. It was also planned to decorate the entire building with special thermal panels, which would reduce the cost of electricity consumption from air conditioning. The thing is that the temperature in Dubai often rises above + 52 degrees Celsius. The building had to be supported by a foundation with so-called hanging piles, the length of which, according to the project, was 45 meters!

View of the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in night illumination

After tenders, the construction division of Samsung was entrusted with the implementation of the Burj Khalifa skyscraper project. In 2004, construction began on a grandiose scale: the construction of the object, which in its appearance resembles a picture from a science fiction film about the distant future, proceeded at a rate of 2 floors per week. If difficulties arose during the work, often 10 days were not enough to construct one floor. The thing is that the skyscraper was built taking into account all the climatic and geological features of Dubai. For example, for the construction of a building, a special grade of concrete was developed that could withstand air temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius. The solution was mixed only at night and pieces of ice were always added to the water.

Human factor

The construction employed more than 12,000 workers, the vast majority of whom worked for pennies and lived in horribly unsanitary conditions. The salary of an ordinary builder was no more than $4 a day; a skilled worker received a little more - about $7 a day. The designers knew Murphy's Law well: “No construction in the world will fit within the pre-planned budget.” And the budget was truly huge: $1.5 billion, it had to be somehow adhered to, so the companies decided to save on labor.

It was in such agony that the most majestic building to date was born. Many workers from South Asian countries could not stand this hard labor and often went on strike, although they returned to work the next day. They took out their anger after a hard day or night on the way to the barracks: broken windows of cars and shops, damaged fountains. The UAE authorities announced the amount of damage: the city lost about a million dollars from the “inappropriate” behavior of the builders. However, construction, like strikes, is already a thing of the past: at the moment, the Burj Khalifa skyscraper is the most majestic, comfortable and, undoubtedly, the most beautiful high-rise building in the whole world.

Gossip

While the construction of the skyscraper, which later became known as the Burj Khalifa skyscraper, was underway, rumors constantly arose in the world. The architectural bureau did not divulge secrets. And as it turned out later, until the last moment the designers were not sure at what height they would stop. Some assumed that the building would have a height of 705 meters, others bet that the skyscraper would be built at least a kilometer high. As it turned out, construction was stopped on the 163rd floor only because managers were afraid of difficulties with the sale of space. Although, after the opening of the building, the entire area of ​​the skyscraper, which amounts to 344,000 square meters, despite the outbreak of the economic crisis, was purchased by various organizations and individuals.

In the Burj Khalifa skyscraper

Even when approaching this building, it seems that it goes into the sky. At its foot, an artificial lake with an area of ​​almost 12 hectares amazes the imagination. It houses a unique fountain, the jets of which are illuminated by more than 6,500 lamps and 50 huge color spotlights. Such lighting turns jets of water “soaring” 150 meters into the air into a truly fantastic spectacle. Entering the building itself, it is impossible not to enjoy the amazing microclimate created by special ventilation and air conditioning systems. When designing them, all the features of the human body were taken into account, so the comfort that you feel in the Burj Khalifa is difficult to describe in words. Moreover, the air here is filled with an aroma that was also developed specifically for this skyscraper. The building is filled with a light, non-intrusive aroma using membranes.

Inside the city there is a huge hotel in the city where any visitor to Dubai who is not used to scrupulously calculating his budget can stay. The design of the hotel was developed by the legendary Giorgio Armani for quite some time. Naturally, the complex houses a huge number of offices, so it is rightfully considered the business center of one of the best cities in the UAE.

Fragment of a skyscraper

The skyscraper also has residential premises: there are 900 of them in total. It is interesting that the hundredth floor of the building was completely purchased by the Indian billionaire Shetty. There are three huge apartments with a total area of ​​1500 square meters. According to eyewitnesses who were lucky enough to visit the “hundredth” floor of the Burj Khalifa, everything there is immersed in luxury. You can enter the skyscraper through one of three separate entrances. This was done so that office workers, residents and visitors of restaurants, and hotel guests do not interfere with each other. A huge number of restaurants, bars, cafes and discos, artificial lakes and boulevards - all this can be found in one of the greatest

Built the tallest building in the world? Then listen, and we will tell you everything in detail and even show you. It all started a long time ago, in the middle of the last century, when oil was discovered in the UAE. Since then, the fountain of petrodollars gushing from the ground has made it possible to transform the desert into a country of modern megacities. The construction of skyscrapers in large cities does not stop for a minute, and the number of cranes has exceeded the number of typical desert inhabitants - camels.

And so, in the largest city of the Emirates, they decided to build the tallest building in the world - the first vertical city on the planet. I must say that the Arabs in general are so eager for the very best. It’s time to create a separate book of records for them.

Ambition

So, from plans they quickly moved on to action and in 2002 they turned to the architect Adrian Smith, who was the author of the skyscraper project in Shanghai. Initially, the task was set: to catch up and slightly surpass the height of the Taiwanese skyscraper (509 m), but gradually appetites grew, the height bar rose higher and higher. The project was redone more than once. The estimated height of the building was announced - 518 m, 705 m, 750 m... The final height was kept secret until the very last moment - they were wildly afraid that competitors would surpass them and design something more grandiose. Then, during construction, changes would have been made to the original version, and no one would have guessed anything. But there were no people willing to measure their height. And when the tower was built and its height was announced at the official opening - 828 meters, we can say that no one even expected that it would surpass the previous record holder by as much as 319 meters. In general, the guys wanted to break away from their possible opponents with a margin.

Construction

So, at the beginning of 2004, they began to lay the foundation. Or rather, first they began to dig a hole, and not just a hole, but a very, very large hole. But the tower has no foundation, in the usual sense. She stands on stilts. The soil here is unimportant: first sand, and then fragile rock with a lot of cracks. Therefore, builders used hanging piles. They were screwed into sand and rocky soil, and their load-bearing capacity is ensured by a diameter of 1.5 meters and a length of 45 meters. About two hundred of these piles form a significant part of the base of the tower. They prevent a building weighing half a million tons from going underground.

The outlines of the foundation resemble the contours of a desert pancrat flower. But this is not a tribute to the beauty of the flower and not the sentimentality of the designers. It’s just that this shape makes it easier to erect a building several hundred meters high. In December 2004, construction began on the floors of the world's tallest building. Every three days a new floor appeared. And all because the work was carried out around the clock, seven days a week. There were about 100 engineers, planners and designers, and up to 12 thousand workers worked on the site every day. The contractor was Samsung Engineering. And also, it was for the construction of this building that a special brand of heavy-duty concrete was developed that can withstand temperatures of +50 degrees. Moreover, the concrete was poured only at night, when it was cooler, and even cooled with ice so that it hardened more slowly and did not crack. In general, there was a lot of hassle.

Problems

The higher the building rose, the more problems arose. In some ways, the experience of building other skyscrapers was useful, but many original solutions were used for the first time during the construction of Burj Khalifa. For example, one of the main problems of all skyscrapers was solved in a very interesting way - wind. Even at the design stage, the building was blown through in a wind tunnel, and it was decided what needed to be done so that future residents would not suffer from seasickness right in their apartments. The solution was simple, like all ingenious ones. They decided not to fight the wind, but simply to outwit it, or, more honestly, to deceive it. The tower sections were shaped in such a way that the wind was deflected in different directions and could not gain strength. The shape of the building changes every 30 floors. The general shape is an upward spiral, much like a stalagmite.

The next problem was precise determination of the center of the building. This information turns out to be necessary for the correct pouring of concrete. So, the contractors installed three GPS devices on the ground and another one on top of the building. This is how the problem of correct alignment was solved. Now external panels. Not only did the glass have to be water-, wind- and dust-proof, it also had to reflect UV rays and not transmit IR rays. The glass panels were made double-sided: the outer metal coating reflects ultraviolet radiation, like sunscreen with SPF protection, and a thin layer of silver is applied to the glass against infrared rays. This protects the building from overheating. There are 30 thousand such panels in total, and their surface area is equal to 17 football fields. So much for the scale. Now that the building is built and in use, a whole team of cleaners spends three months cleaning all the windows. And when they finish, they start in a new circle. You won’t envy the guys, especially since they work in special equipment, just like real climbers, only instead of mountain beauties there is only glass before their eyes.

The next difficulty is lifting blocks to such height. Jumping kangaroo cranes were used in the construction of other skyscrapers. But in Dubai they went further. The blocks begin to be assembled below - the cage frames are made, which will become the basis for the interfloor ceilings and walls. Kangaroo cranes lift these cages and place them in special “jumping” molds. These forms are filled with concrete, and after 12 hours, when the concrete hardens, the forms are ready to jump. Using hydraulics, the forms are lifted, and the concrete block remains in place. In just two hours, the form moves to the next level, where everything starts again. This is reminiscent of children building “sand castles” using special plastic molds. And the builders themselves compare this technology to preparing a giant wedding cake.

Separate song myself concrete. After all, the higher the tower gets, the more difficult it is to deliver it to the top. Everything is important here. First of all, the consistency of the solution - it must be calculated very accurately. Too thin a solution hardens for a long time and delays work, and if you overdo it with thickness, the concrete can harden while still in the transportation pipe and tightly clog it (concrete it). To pump 25 tons of concrete to an unprecedented height, you need a 630 horsepower motor. Concrete was pumped into the tower to a height of 570 meters - again a world record. There is also a danger that the solution under pressure will rub through the steel and then the pipe will rupture. Concrete reaches the 155th floor in 40 minutes. And you can only pour concrete in Dubai at night; during the day it’s too hot and the solution will overheat. But, despite all these difficulties, the speed of construction did not slow down.

The Burj Khalifa can withstand a magnitude 6 earthquake thanks to its reinforced concrete frame. Moreover, the lower floors serve as a support, like a camera tripod. In total, 60 thousand tons of heavy-duty steel reinforcement and 330 thousand cubic meters of concrete were used during construction. In July 2007, the tower broke the world height record, but continued to strive upward. When all the floors were erected, it was necessary to figure out how to raise the hundred-meter pipe for the tower boom. It was decided to cut it into 25 pieces and join it on the spot. Brave people worked at such heights!

It's finished!

And now, almost 8 years later, on January 4, 2010, the grand opening took place. Moreover, the tower was no longer called Burj Dubai, as originally planned, but Burj Khalifa. And that's why they renamed it. The completion of construction coincided with the financial crisis, and the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi came to the aid of Dubai. In gratitude for his generosity, they decided to name the tower after him. Construction cost $1.5 billion.

Burj Khalifa has three wings, each with its own entrance. The first wing is apartments. There are 900 apartments here from the 44th floor to the 108th. There is a special 24-hour concierge service and a cleaning team. Moreover, the cleanliness is maintained literally sterile. There is even a special position. The employee wears white gloves and checks with his finger to see if there are any specks of dust. And the presence of tiny specks that are not visible under normal lighting is checked under ultraviolet light. Only very rich people can afford apartments in the tower. Some don't waste time on trifles and buy several apartments. For example, Indian billionaire Shetty bought an entire floor. Now the entire hundredth floor with three apartments of 500 sq. m. meters each, completely at the disposal of the family of the owner of a huge pharmaceutical empire. Offices are located in the second wing from floors 111 to 154. And in the third wing. From the 1st to the 39th floor there are rooms, apartments and restaurants, and maestro Giorgio Armani was personally involved in the design of the premises. On the 124th floor there is a famous observation deck, which is so popular among tourists that access to it is only possible by appointment. The entire 122nd floor is occupied by a restaurant. Here again the world record is broken - this is the highest restaurant in the world. There is hardly anywhere else in the world where a chef can have a better view from his window than here. For safety reasons, there is no gas at this altitude. The restaurant's kitchen has special ovens in which they cook over coals.

You can move around in the tower using 57 elevators - these are the high-speed highways of a vertical city. They especially care about safety here. Even VIP cars are not allowed into the territory without inspection. The designers also took care of safety in case of fire. The building has 9 special rooms - fire shelters. They are protected by layers of special reinforced concrete and fire-resistant coatings. The walls can withstand the onslaught of fire for two hours. These rooms have a ventilation system that forces air through fireproof pipes. The premises are sealed and smoke cannot penetrate inside. They are located every 30 floors. The elevators are also fireproof.

The air for the tower's air conditioning system is taken from the upper floors - here it is not only cleaner, but also 6 degrees cooler than below. And the air is not only cooled, but also aromatized, and the aroma was developed specifically for the Burj Khalifa. And since there is a certain shortage of fresh water in the Emirates, the condensate from the air conditioning is used to water the plants planted around the building. There are a lot of interesting things in this building, for example, a vending machine... for gold. Yes, it is a gold bar weighing from 2.5 to 30 grams with the image of the Burj Khalifa that can be obtained from a machine if you feed it a decent amount of cash. Moreover, the open verandas in the apartments are equipped with special sensors, thanks to which, if the weather worsens, the glass panels will lower themselves. In general, standing on an open veranda at such a height, you can find yourself right inside a cloud. Imagine, you can see a cloud coming right at you. Where else is this possible?

This is it - Burj Khalifa - the greatest skyscraper in the world. Of course, it will remain so until an even higher one is built somewhere... In the meantime, it’s worth it at least to see it all with your own eyes. Believe me, it's worth it!

Video. Construction of Burj Khalifa

About how it was, in more detail and clearly.

The Burj Khalifa Tower in Dubai, shaped like a stalagmite, is the tallest skyscraper in the world. During construction, the height of this skyscraper was kept secret. This was due to two main reasons. The first reason is that during construction work it turned out that the height of the building could be increased. The second is the possibility of making adjustments during construction in case it turns out that a taller skyscraper is being built somewhere.

See also: Dancing and singing fountains in Dubai - this wonder of the world is located right under the skyscraper.

The height of the tower became known only on January 4, 2010 during the opening ceremony. It was announced that the tower exceeds all skyscrapers known to date, and its height is 828 meters. Since its opening, the Dubai Tower "Burj Dubai" has been called the Khalifa Tower - "Burj Khalifa" in honor of the country's president.

One of the authors of the project is the American architect Adrian Smith, who has repeatedly designed famous skyscrapers, in particular the Chinese Jin-Mao skyscraper. The Burj Khalifa skyscraper was created as a kind of city with its own boulevards, lawns and parks. The 37 lower floors of the tower are dedicated to the Armani Hotel, named after its designer Giorgio Armani, and 900 luxury apartments are located from the 44th to 108th floors. The hundredth floor of the building is owned by B. R. Shetty, an Indian billionaire, who has three huge apartments at his disposal, and on the 43rd and 76th floors you can relax in the pool, gym, or admire the panorama of the city from the observation deck. The highest observation deck, most of which is glazed, is located on the 124th floor of the skyscraper at an altitude of 472 m. Here you can use an electronic telescope for a better view of the city. At the highest altitude in the world, on the 122nd floor of a skyscraper, the Atmosphere restaurant is located. Most of the other floors of the tower are office spaces.

Construction work, which began in 2004, proceeded at a fairly high pace: 1-2 floors per week. The 160 floors were built using concrete work, and the 180-meter spire was created using metal structures. During construction, certain grades of concrete were used that can withstand temperatures up to 50 degrees, and the concrete was laid at night.

The climatic features of the UAE were taken into account not only during construction work. To reduce the effect of swaying in the wind, the tower was given an asymmetrical shape. Glass was used for the building so that it would not allow dust to pass through and would reflect the sun's rays. Special membranes in the floor cool and aromatize the indoor air. All this made it possible to maintain a comfortable temperature inside the building, despite the scorching heat outside.

The tower's solar panels and wind-driven turbine generate autonomous electricity, and the fire safety system makes it possible to evacuate the tower's inhabitants in 32 minutes. 57 elevators operate for visitors to the tower and move at a speed of 10 m/s.

The Dubai press dubbed the skyscraper the “Tower of Pride”, taking into account the fact that it is the tallest structure created in the entire history of construction.

New Year's fireworks from Burj Khalifa in Dubai 2013 HD

The tallest building in the world is located in Dubai - it is a skyscraper Burj Khalifa. Height of the Burj Khalifa skyscraper is 828 meters. This building has 163 floors: it is so high that it can be seen far beyond the city limits.

In January 2010, construction was completely completed and the grand opening of the tower took place. Initially it was planned as a “city within a city”, with its own parks, flower beds, and shops. Until the completion of construction, the height of the building was kept strictly secret. In total, construction of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, cost more than $4 billion and took four years to complete, with an average construction rate of one to two floors per week.

Inside the skyscraper there are apartments, office buildings, shopping centers, restaurants and a hotel. There are three separate entrances - for the hotel, for offices and for apartments. The building contains several gyms, swimming pools, observation decks, some of which have a Jacuzzi, nine hotels, several restaurants, including the Atmosphere restaurant. Due to the fact that the restaurant is located on the 122nd floor, it has become the highest restaurant in the world.


Initially, the skyscraper was to be called “Burj Dubai”, but at the opening ceremony, the then ruler of the Emirate of Dubai, Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, said: “From now on and forever, this tower will bear the name “Khalifa” - “Burj Khalifa.” Thus, he forever renamed the skyscraper in honor of the man who had done so much for the now prosperous state of the United Arab Emirates - Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The Burj Khalifa skyscraper is not only the tallest, but also the most expensive skyscraper in the world! The creator of the project is American architect Adrian Smith, Samsung was the main contractor. Giorgio Armani himself worked on the design of the Armani Hotel, located from the first to the thirty-ninth floors. To build the tower, special concrete was invented that can withstand temperatures above 50 degrees. Due to the special formula, this concrete had to be laid exclusively at night; it is known that ice was added to it. The glass of the skyscraper is equipped with a special thermal system that does not allow dust and ultraviolet rays to pass through and helps maintain a constant temperature inside the Burj Khalifa. Not only is the air in the tallest skyscraper in the world constantly cooled and enriched with oxygen, it is also aromatized. Moreover, this fragrance was also developed specifically for Burj Khalifa and has a unique character.

There are 57 elevators in the building, but only the service elevator moves from the first to the top floor. Guests of the skyscraper have to move between floors with transfers. These elevators reach speeds of up to 10m/s.

In front of the facade of the tallest building in the world there is an artificial lake in which the Dubai Singing Fountain was opened - it is illuminated by almost 7,000 light sources and more than 50 spotlights.


Burj Khalifa observation deck, called “At the Top” and located on the 124th floor, offers visitors an incredible panorama of the city. From such a height, the new business center of Dubai, of which this skyscraper is the center, looks like a city from the future. You can enjoy this view on average for about an hour, which is exactly how long the walk lasts, tickets for which are sold in the lobby of the building. The cost of these tickets ranges from thirty-six (a regular ticket, for which there is usually a huge queue) to one hundred and ten dollars (by purchasing this ticket you can immediately proceed to the site without waiting in line).



It is not yet possible to say how soon a building taller than the Burj Khalifa will appear in Dubai , but today the skyscraper still retains this proud title and is the tallest building in the world.