The National

Indeed, Wednesday's star-studded launch of the MBC Drama channel at the Burj Khalifa was something of an exception. For this is an industry populated by an increasingly vast array of satellite TV channels, and an equally vast array of funding levels.

The company made a healthy profit of Dh359m on those sales, but it lost high-end office buildings that were yielding returns as high as 10 per cent a year. At least one of the buildings was among the sought-after Emaar Square properties near the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

A former employee of a hotel in the world's tallest building yesterday admitted peddling stolen goods for Dh300,000 in cash. A Dh53,000 Rolex watch swiped from the Armani Hotel in the Burj Khalifa led to the discovery of the money in the home of the South African waiter.

Tom Cruise dangled from the top of the Burj Khalifa on Friday, as filming in Dubai for the spy thriller Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol entered its second week. The Hollywood star was sighted swinging from the world's tallest tower several times last week, and even dropped down to the 124th floor observation tower in a surprise visit to tourists.

Old Town forms part of Downtown Burj Dubai, a vast development between Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road that is home to the sky-piercing Burj Khalifa. Grabbing at the skirt tails of the Burj is The Address hotel, its distinctive spatula-shaped silhouette a landmark in its own right. Next door is the cavernous retail cathedral of Dubai Mall.

Eager crowds may catch their final glimpses of Tom Cruise this week as filming outside the Burj Khalifa for Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol wraps up. The Hollywood star has been dangling off the world's tallest tower this week, reprising his role as Ethan Hunt in the fourth instalment of the spy thrillers. On Saturday, he dropped down to the observation tower on the 124th floor to the shock - and delight - of tourists inside.

Interiors provider links up with Northern Ireland-based Mivan Gureni Lukwaro Depa, the interiors company that fitted out the world's tallest tower, Burj Khalifa in Dubai, has won four new contracts worth Dh100 million (US$27.2m). The Dubai company said its joint venture with Mivan, based in Northern Ireland, had won three orders in the UAE and one in Yemen. The largest of them is a 12-month project worth Dh60m for the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, which is scheduled to open in late 2012.

Starring Tom Cruise, the movie will begin shooting in the "next few weeks", according to a statement released by the Dubai media office. Among the possible locations are Burj Khalifa and Meydan. Other locations and companies such as Emirates Airline and Emaar have been placed on standby to assist with the film. The announcement comes after two months of meetings between the Hollywood studio, Paramount, and government officials.

Depa, the Dubai-based interiors contractor that worked on the Burj Khalifa, is becoming a favourite among construction stock pickers in the country. While many builders have been hurt by project cancellations, payment delays and reduced profit margins, Depa’s balance sheet looks more solid.

Depa, the contractor that installed the interior of the world’s tallest tower, the Burj Khalifa, has paid S$108.7 million (Dh295.1m) for a furniture maker based in Singapore as it expands its presence in Asia.