9 Interesting facts about Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower

Dubai is without a doubt, a fascinating city you must visit. You can call it the city with heavy bragging rights and rightfully so. This city has a passion for making and breaking new world records and every corner you turn, you come across a record-breaker. Rumor has that it currently holds more than 220 world records.

I recently had the privilege and honor of visiting one of the major attractions in Dubai, Burj Khalifa- the world’s tallest tower. It is a sight to behold, literally. Originally called Burj Dubai, but was renamed to pay homage to the ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of United Arab Emirates – Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, it is arguably the world’s most prestigious address. Often described as a ‘Vertical City’, it is said to be twice the height of New York’s Empire State Building and three times as tall as the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The tower became the world’s tallest man-made structure just 1,325 days after excavation work started in January 2004.

With 10 flights a week between Nairobi and Dubai, Emirates is giving Kenyans the chance to scale this tower. This month, the airline has added another value add/ special treat for all its passengers who can now get free admission to Burj Khalifa at the top when they make their bookings between 29th November and 20th December for travel between 29th November 2021 and 31st March 2022. Plan your travel with confidence, fly https://www.emirates.com/ #FlyEmiratesFlyBetter.

Here are 9 very, very interesting facts you might not have known about Burj Khalifa

The inspiration behind the design of Burj Khalifa is drawn from a regional desert flower called Spider Lily, which is known for its beautiful petals. If you look at this skyscraper from above, you’ll notice the design. It is based on the symmetries of this beautiful flower.

At the peak of construction, records have it that over 12,000 professionals and skilled workers from more than 100 countries, worked on the construction of this iconic building.

Burj Khalifa is home to about 900 residences ranging from studios to one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments. Living here means you are living in Dubai’s most prestigious address that undoubtedly comes with its perks such a health and wellness club which includes a state-of-the-art gym, Olympic-sized swimming pool and a luxurious spa among other amenities.

This skyscraper holds various records besides being the tallest building in the world. It is also the tallest freestanding structure in the world, has the highest number of stories in the world, has the highest occupied floor in the world, has the highest outdoor observation deck in the world, and has the tallest service elevator in the world. It really is the home of record-breaking numbers.

Burj Khalifa is home to the world’s first Armani Hotel, the most exclusive hospitality destination in the city and owned by celebrated Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani. The hotel has 160 luxurious guest rooms and suites, eight innovative restaurants, exclusive retail outlets and a serene Spa all inside the Burj Khalifa. As per Giorgio Armani’s request, there is no reception at the entrance of the building, to emphasize the feeling of hospitality. 

It has one of the fastest moving lifts in the world. The Burj Khalifa elevator time to reach the observation deck on the 124th floor is only one minute (the speed is 10 meters per second). It has the elevator with longest travel distance in the world that takes you to the world’s highest observation deck standing at 1,821 Feet on levels 125 and 124.

According to the Guinness world books of records, the fastest time to climb the Burj Khalifa tower is 6 hours 13 minutes 55 seconds and was achieved by Alain Robert (France), at the Burj Khalifa tower, Dubai, UAE, on 29 March 2011. Alain started the attempt at 6.03pm on Monday 28th and completed it at 12.17am on Tuesday 29th March.

The common areas of Burj Khalifa all have a bespoke fragrance that was selected from among 18 aromas.

It takes almost 3 months to clean each and every single window of the tower from top to bottom. And when it’s done, the process begins all over again. According to reports, the work is done by 18 permanently installed telescopic units which can extend up to 36 metres.

Below are the views from the observation deck inside the Burj Khalifa, overlooking Dubai city

At 828 metres above ground, this marks one of the highest ads ever filmed and was conceptualized and directed by Emirates’ in-house brand team with the help of Prime Productions AMG, based in Dubai. According to Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline, “We always look to challenge the norm and push boundaries at Emirates. We do it every day through our innovative services, our best-in-class product and of course through our advertising. The calm and confidence of the cabin crew you see in the ad is an embodiment of our frontline team, serving travellers and ensuring their safety.” 

(additonal images courtesy of Burj Khalifa managment)

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