Monday, January 4, 2010

Revealed: Height of World's Tallest Building


The world's tallest building has opened in Dubai as the official height was revealed - 828 metres (2717ft).

Adam Arnold, Sky News Online

The world's tallest building has opened in Dubai as the official height was revealed - 828 metres (2717ft).

In a surprise move, the Burj Dubai was renamed Burj Khalifa by Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum.

The new name is after Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan - the president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of the neighbouring emirate of Abu Dhabi.

The Burj Khalifa towers over its nearest rival, the Taipei 101 in Taiwan, which rises 508m (1,667ft).

That makes it about twice the height of the Empire State Building.

At the opening ceremony, thousands of residents and tourists crowded around the base of the half-mile tall tower, which is at least 160 storeys high.

Dubai's ruler unveiled a plaque, kicking off inaugural festivities.

They included traditional Gulf Arab dance performances and skydivers with parachutes emblazoned with the colours of the UAE flag.

The top of the building can be seen from 60 miles away and the exterior is covered in about 26,000 glass panels.

The building boasts the most storeys and highest occupied floor of any building in the world, and ranks as the world's tallest structure, beating a television mast in North Dakota.

"We weren't sure how high we could go," said Bill Baker, the building's structural engineer, who is in Dubai for the inauguration. "It was kind of an exploration ... a learning experience."


Revealed: Height of World's Tallest Building

7:41pm UK, Monday January 04, 2010

Adam Arnold, Sky News Online
The world's tallest building has opened in Dubai as the official height was revealed - 828 metres (2717ft).

In a surprise move, the Burj Dubai was renamed Burj Khalifa by Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum.

The new name is after Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan - the president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of the neighbouring emirate of Abu Dhabi.

The Burj Khalifa towers over its nearest rival, the Taipei 101 in Taiwan, which rises 508m (1,667ft).

That makes it about twice the height of the Empire State Building.

At the opening ceremony, thousands of residents and tourists crowded around the base of the half-mile tall tower, which is at least 160 storeys high.

Dubai's ruler unveiled a plaque, kicking off inaugural festivities.

They included traditional Gulf Arab dance performances and skydivers with parachutes emblazoned with the colours of the UAE flag.

HOW THE BURJ COMPARES TO WORLD RIVALS

The top of the building can be seen from 60 miles away and the exterior is covered in about 26,000 glass panels.

The building boasts the most storeys and highest occupied floor of any building in the world, and ranks as the world's tallest structure, beating a television mast in North Dakota.

"We weren't sure how high we could go," said Bill Baker, the building's structural engineer, who is in Dubai for the inauguration. "It was kind of an exploration ... a learning experience."


The Burj's opening comes at a tough time for Dubai's economy with property prices in newer parts of the sheikhdom down by nearly half over the past year.

The city-state turned to its richer neighbour Abu Dhabi for a series of bailouts in 2009 to help cover debts amassed by a network of state-linked companies.

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