NEWS

The Burj Khalifa rises like a glass spike, nearly a kilometre into the Dubai sky. There's no taller building in the world. Despite suffering from vertigo in the past, Andrew Flintoff is up for my suggestion that we go to the top. As we head for the world's fastest elevator, he reveals his previous wobbles negotiating tall buildings.

To get to "At the Top," the observation deck's, you have to enter through The Dubai Mall’s lower-ground level. Before you pop your ears on the elevator up, brush up on your knowledge of Dubai and the building with multimedia displays like "Dubai Then and Now," "From Earth to the Sky" and "From Vision to Reality." You'll also see a big illuminated model of the Burj Khalifa, formerly called the Burj Dubai, where you can learn about the skyscraper.

A last-minute decision to change the name of the skyscraper from Burj Dubai to Burj Khalifa reflected a political shift within the United Arab Emirates. Dubai’s tower now carries the name of Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the ruler of neighboring Abu Dhabi and the president of the emirates, who reluctantly rode to Dubai’s rescue last month with a $10 billion bailout.

The world's tallest tower, Burj Khalifa has finally opened its doors following five long years of construction. And, despite the last-minute name change, the presence of the world's tallest tower will deliver direct economic benefits to the emirate of Dubai. Emaar's flagship project is significant in many ways. It delivers another iconic structure to Dubai's skyline, complementing the Burj al-Arab in international recognition and plays an arguably even greater role as the anchor project to Emaar's wider Dhs73bn ($20bn) Downtown Burj Dubai scheme.

A team from Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) went on an inspection tour of Armani Hotel Dubai in Burj Khalifa on Monday ahead of the luxury property's scheduled opening in March. Armani Hotel Dubai, the first hotel to open under the collaboration between Giorgio Armani S.p.A. and Emaar Properties PJSC, is getting finishing touches.

Toddlers up to 3 years of age can join in the fun at KidZania®, the newly opened innovative children’s edutainment centre in The Dubai Mall. Urbano’s House at KidZania® is the ultimate fun destination for tiny tots who can revel in a range of specially designed activities. As the name indicates, Urbano’s House is the abode of Urbano, the mascot of KidZania®, who represents children’s ‘Right to KNOW.’

"Since the turn of the year and the opening of the Burj Khalifa, we have started to see people want to come back and talk to the bank about making investments outside the cash deposit," said Gary Dugan, chief investment officer, Private Banking, at Emirates NBD. "It's hundreds of millions of dollars being put on the table. It's real money that is coming back in."

After opening to the public on January 5th, the world's tallest skyscraper -- the Burj Khalifa has attracted more than three-thousand visitors each day. The ticket price to visit the tower is 100 Dirham, or 200 yuan RMB for adult, while ticket for children is 75 Dirham, or 150 yuan RMB.

The Dubai International Financial center, a focal point of regional finance, is also home to top fashion stores such as Villa Moda and Issey Miyake. Even the domestic real estate sector has incorporated fashion into its lineup of developments, as embodied by the Hotel Armani in the Burj Khalifa and the upcoming Isla Moda, the world's first dedicated fashion island to be built on Dubai's 'The World' project, which will feature limited-edition homes designed by fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld.

Western media have taken aim at this country because of its achievements. The UAE's phenomenal success, which was epitomised by the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai earlier this month stands as testimony to the ability of Arab people to challenge the impossible.