Towers of Dubai

Towers of Dubai is recognition of every minaret in Abu Dhabi and Dubai...but more especially it's a tribute to the two towering masterpieces, the Burj Al Arab seven star hotel and the new Burj Dubai, destined to be the tallest building in the world for some time to come.

These two outstanding examples of fine architecture are absolutely futuristic.

the Burj Al Arab seven star hotel shines like a night star...

the Burj Al Arab seven star hotel

Next, the ambitious Burj Dubai (Dubai Tower) which currently is at 144 storeys and is rising to many more levels. (160+ storeys) Excavation work started in January, 2004 and the tower is the most visible part of a much larger development worth billions. On 21st July, 2007, Emaar Properties announced that the structure had become the tallest building in the world at 512.1 metres. The previous 'tallest building' was Taipei 101 in Taiwan, at 508 metres. NYC's Empire State Building, New York, stands at 381 metres.

The engineering support for the Dubai Tower project is a collaboration between the USA, UAE and Samsung of South Korea, and the general contractor is Samsung Corporation. This tower of concrete and steel is being built to very high structural standards and includes a hydraulic lifting system to actually raise its total height. A unique concrete pumping method was devised just for this project. Here is a futuristic model of the Burj Dubai which is projected for completion at the end of 2008, with a probable final height rumoured to be more than 700 metres:

the Burj Dubai

Geoffrey Dodd is a travel writer and Internet entrepreneur focusing on the United Arab Emirates and the United States. This information is primarily of architectural interest. See our new Video section for more details.

Page last updated on March 29, 2008