Dubai property market: Riding on the crest of tourism and favourable land laws

Harbouring most of the world’s architectural wonders such as the tallest building in the world—the Burj Khalifa with 168 floors, the only seven-star hotel in the world—Burj Al Arab, one of the world’s largest shopping malls—Dubai Mall, among others including the New Metro, Dubai is unarguably, the world’s most glamorous tourism destination.

Dubai: Inside the world’s tallest building

More than a dozen of us filed into the dark elevator, ready to be whisked up 1,483 feet to the observation deck of the newly minted tallest building in the world. The smooth 60-second ride delivered us to the Burj Khalifa’s 124th floor. People of all ages were making their way around the viewing platform’s floor-to-ceiling windows, soaking up the 360-degree views of Dubai at night.

Arabtec profit slashed by 50%

UAE’s largest contractor posts loss for last quarter of 2009. The UAE’s largest contractor Arabtec has posted a loss for the last quarter of 2009, with profit for the full year slashed by 50%. The contractor, whose projects include the world’s tallest tower, the Burj Khalifa, blamed the results on a charge of about $80m (£53.5m) for bad debts.

Global Architectural Highlights, 2010

The improbably thin shaft of the 828-meter (2,717-foot) Burj Khalifa, a tour de force of architecture and engineering, is a reflective-glass icon ofDubai’s triumphant arrival on the world scene. Or it’s a towering monument to easy-money hubris. Take your pick. Changing expectations is the perilous fate of architecture that strives to be the biggest, the most lavish, the most significant. Now pundits galore predict the end of spectacle and glitz. The post-crash reality is looking more complex.

Downtown Burj Khalifa Tilt-shifted video

More of a test really. Waiting for them to re-open the observation deck so I can go back and do it properly!

Giorgio Armani worried Burj designs may look ‘old’

Iconic fashion designer Giorgio Armani has said he is nervous his first hotel project, which will be located in the base of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, may look outdated when officially opened later this month. “I’ve been working on this for five years. I’m finally going to see what I designed, and it’s a bit nerve-racking to think that what I liked five years ago might look old now,” the Italian designer told US-based fashion trade publication Woman’s Wear Daily at the weekend.

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