Khaleej Times

Polish unicyclist Krystian Herba, the new world record holder of Stairs Climbing By Bicycle, hopes to conquer Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower measuring 828 metres, next year. “After going to Burj Khalifa today, I have this desire to climb it as soon as I get more information about it,” Kyrstian said.

The start and finish for the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon 2012 will be in Downtown Dubai adjacent to the Burj Khalifa. The starts for the Marathon, 10km Road Race and 3km Fun Run will be from the same start gantry location just up from the Burj Khalifa outside the Pavilion. The finish area for the Marathon, 10km Road Race and 3km Fun Run will be through the same finish gantry location on the opposite side of the road from the start gantry.

Dubai got into the party mood early in the afternoon on Saturday. The roads were packed near the iconic Burj Khalifa. And the Global Village was another hotspot for visitors. At the crack of midnight, fireworks ushered in 2012 at the Burj as restaurants, night clubs and parties sported New Year themes.

Thousands of energy-efficient decorative lights have started shining along the three-km long Emaar Boulevard, Downtown Dubai, which will continue through the entire festival season, including the UAE National Day celebrations, Emirates Classic Car Festival, New Year’s Eve and the Dubai Shopping Festival, up until April 2012.

Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world will be on showcase at the forum. “The higher the building the risk is higher as well. We will present a case study of Burj Khalifa because it has all the safety system that protects lives. It has an evacuation system and evacuation lifts instead of a staircase in case of fire and its 38 lifts are fire and smoke-proof.

The Civil Defence heads, who conducted a high-level meeting in Burj Khalifa, also evaluated the systems and emergency preparedness of the world’s tallest building. They congratulated Emaar Properties PJSC, the developer of the tower, for the excellence and best practices in implementing advanced safety systems.

“Using a dynamo, we can demonstrate how LED lights, like the ones used to light up the Burj Khalifa, can be lit through kinetic energy,” 13-year old Aman Mihir said as his group mate Aiman Anees placed the dynamo against a moving bicycle wheel. The one-metre high model Burj Khalifa came to life almost instantly, as did the tiny LED street lights along the replica of Shaikh Zayed Road.

He doesn’t need an introduction. But he now has a new address that his fans need to be introduced to. Malayalam matinee idol Mohanlal is set to be the latest Indian celebrity to add the Burj Khalifa tag to his address. Popularly known as Lalettan, the versatile actor, who already has a villa at Arabian Ranches, is finalising the purchase of a luxury apartment at the world’s tallest building, Khaleej Times has learnt.

Some of the original shots feature the Burj Khalifa just as the glass cladding was being applied, export goods piled up on the decks of dhows, fabric shops, cafes and jewellery displays. Photographs of different people reflect the emirate's many backgrounds and personalities.

Recent examples are Abu Dhabi-based Aabar Investments’s 4.99 per cent stake in Italy’s UniCredit SpA and a joint venture between Dubai-based Emaar and Italian designer Giorgio Armani. The joint venture launched the first Armani hotel in Dubai a year before and there are plans to open 10 more Armani-branded hotels and resorts within the next 10 years in famous cities across the world.