Burj Dubai, World's Tallest Building Opens Today

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(DUBAI, U.A.E.) -- Six years ago, in January 2004, Dubai told the world that it would build the world's tallest building and announced what it called "History Rising." Today the Burj Dubai stands complete, 160 floors, and more than 800 meters high.

It took 22 million man hours to build the tower. At times as many as 12,000 workers from 100 countries were employed. Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman, Emaar Properties, said, "Burj Dubai shows just what can be achieved when people from all over the world come together to strive for a common purpose."

Excavation work began soon after the announcement of History Rising, with 60 contractors and consultants joining forces. More than 45,000 cubic meters of concrete, weighing more than 110,000 tons, make up the tower's steel-reinforced foundations with 192 piles going down 50 meters.

Wind tunnel testing led to the Burj Dubai's unusual shape which allows it to withstand winds swirling around the tower and differences in atmospheric pressure between the base and the top. The main construction material is reinforced concrete with reinforced steel, double glazed glass, and embossed stainless steel. The first 100 floors of the tower were completed only 1,093 days after excavation began at a rate of three days per floor.

Work on the glass and aluminium exterior panels of Burj Dubai started in May 2007 and was completed last September. A total of 24,348 panels cover the 132,190 square meter area.

Visitors to the observation deck on the 124th floor can read the "I am Burj Dubai" legend. The words say, "I am the heart of the city and its people, the marker that defines Emaar's ambition and Dubai's shining dream. More than just a moment in time, I define moments for future generations."

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