Press

Retail sales at The Dubai Mall, the world's largest shopping mall, rose by 24% during 2012 compared to the previous year, developer Emaar said on Saturday. The company also said the mall received a total of 65m visitors last year, an increase of more than 20% on the 54m visitors seen in 2011.

The Kingdom Tower in Jeddah would be the first of a breed of ultra-tall buildings to exceed 900 metres in height. That's more than twice as tall as New York's Empire State Building.United Technologies' Otis Elevator, Switzerland-based Schindler Group and Finland's Kone are racing to perfect technologies ranging from stronger brakes to smarter software to move elevator riders more efficiently and capture the market.

Seventy-one sales transactions were recorded in Burj Khalifa , the world's tallest tower in 2012, with two transactions topping Dh45 million, according to information provided by Reidin.com to Emirates 24|7. The two biggest transactions registered with the Dubai Land Department ( DLD ) were of Dh45.42 million and Dh45.07 million with price per square foot of Dh4,000 and Dh3,969, respectively.

Gizmodo friend Gerald Donovan has sent us an amazing 2.6 GB, 360-degree panorama from the very top of the highest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. You know, where Tom Cruise perched to be closer to Xenu and look out over all of us lousy, pill-popping humans. It'll take your breath away.

Emaar Property’s first project in 2013, The Address Residence Fountain Views, on Saturday witnessed an overwhelming response, selling out all the units released on the first day of the launch, according to sources. The strong response to Emaar’s prime property indicates robust demand for premium developments in Downtown Dubai, which was one of the most sought-after communities for residential sales and leasing last year.

In terms of speed of elevators, Burj Khalifa, 828-metre high, shares the third position on the list with maximum elevator speed of 600 metres per minute, or 36kmph. “What is more, the double-deckers' passengers are also able to travel the longest distance currently possible in an elevator, exiting after a ride of 504 metres at the world's highest stop, 638 metres up the building,” Emporis stated.

Executive Chef Stuart Sage’s seasonal menu features a tasting menu for two people, that starts with an amuse bouche of micro garden salad with yellow fin tuna ceviche, followed by slow-cooked foie, poached organic salmon and wagyu all topped off with delectable red velvet, and At.mosphere’s signature Crunch Dessert, paired with an array of cellared beverages.

Construction of the Water Discus Hotel will start this year in Gdynia, Poland, with Dubai and the Maldives showing interest in purchasing of the prototype, according to information published by a Polish government agency.

Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts has opened its fifth property in Dubai, becoming the first international hotel company in the city's Al Mamzar area of Deira. Mövenpick Hotel Apartments The Square opened on 20 January with 180 superior and deluxe rooms, as well as one- and two-bedroom hotel apartment suites.

For Burj Khalifa, completed in 2010 for $1.5 billion, Otis designed a system using double-deck cars, computerized dispatch and its compact Gen2 lifts, which replace steel ropes with polyurethane-coated belts and bulky motors with smaller gearless drives, eliminating the need for a large engine room.