ArabianBusiness.com

British engineering firm Hyder Consulting said on Tuesday that it was on track to beat profit forecasts in its full-year results, despite still being owed GBP9.4m ($14.9m) by Dubai clients.The company, which advised on Dubai’s Burj Khalifa project, said it was poised to report full year revenue and operating profit “slightly ahead” of market expectations, after absorbing operating costs of around GBP3m.

Room rates at Dubai's Armani Hotel in the Burj Khalifa will start at AED1,700 for a night in one of 24 Armani studios, it was revealed on Sunday. The hotel, which is due to open in March, has put its online booking system live starting, with bookings able to be made at www.armanihotels.com.

The world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa, is scheduled to unlock its doors in early 2010 as the centrepiece of the Downtown Burj Khalifa area. This will include the world's first Armani Hotel, designed, featuring 160 guestrooms and suites, an Armani Spa, a private members' club, two gourmet restaurants and a nightclub. It will also boast 144 exquisite Armani Residences all furnished in the designer's ‘homes' brand, Armani Casa.

Fino International managing partner Talal Saeed describes fitting out the Armani Hotel and the private offices of Emaar as "enlightening". Working on the interior fitout of the Burj Khalifa was both "enlightening" and "surprising," according to Talal Saeed, managing partner of Fino International. The four year old, Dubai-based interiors specialist was appointed to work on three separate areas of the world's tallest building.

Vision is a word you hear a lot in the GCC. But just imagine if you will, sitting down in a meeting and deciding to construct the world's tallest building in your city. Not one that is going to be the tallest by a few dozen metres, and relinquish its title to another tower, in another city, within a few years, but the tallest by a massive margin.

Emaar Properties is still finalising the rebranding process of the Burj Khalifa and will shortly announce whether there will be a new name for the Downtown Burj Dubai area, the developer told Arabian Business on Tuesday. “Sheikh Khalifa is one of the UAE’s symbols,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai’s Supreme Fiscal Committee and an uncle of Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Fino International said on Sunday it was nearing the end of its 33 month project to fit out the Burj Khalifa’s corporate offices, public lobby and Armani Hotel & Residences.

Only a quarter of people who took part in the latest Arabian Business survey said they though the AED100 ticket price to go up the Burj Khalifa was reasonable.