The massive Burj Khalifa tower is a true symbol of Dubai. Nearly every traveler visiting the city has likely come to see the world's tallest structure. Every tourist can find something enjoyable here: guests can ascend to the skyscraper’s observation decks, explore the large shopping mall at its base, or admire the musical fountain show.
Burj Khalifa: The Story of Its Construction
This colossal structure appeared relatively recently. Construction of the Burj Khalifa began in 2004 and lasted six years. The skyscraper was officially inaugurated on January 4, 2010.
The tower’s design was developed by the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, with architect A. Smith contributing to the project. Online sources mention that he is renowned for designing super-tall buildings. The Burj Khalifa has a very unique shape: its base is inspired by local flora. From a distance, the building is often compared to a giant stalagmite.
The Burj Khalifa stands at 828 meters tall and has 163 floors. Inside, you’ll find office spaces, residential apartments, fitness centers, swimming pools, restaurants, and even the Armani Hotel Burj Khalifa, designed by the famous fashion designer Giorgio Armani. I checked the room rates for a randomly selected date, and the price for one night started at 2,700 dirhams.
As for the apartments, they are located on floors 45 to 108. There are units of various sizes, from studios to four-bedroom apartments. There are also some exceptions—according to Wikipedia, the entire 100th floor belongs to an Indian billionaire.
The tower features several observation decks at different heights, with the highest one on the 154th floor. Ticket prices range from 159 to 769 dirhams. While this is quite expensive, as I mentioned at the beginning of the article, there are also free attractions: in the evening, visitors can enjoy a spectacular light and music fountain show at the base of the tower. The show runs multiple times, and I watched it at 10 PM. Fifteen minutes before that, guests could also see a light projection on the Burj Khalifa’s facade.
Right next to the tower is The Dubai Mall, one of the largest shopping centers in the world. It boasts numerous stores and restaurants, a cinema, an ice rink, and even an aquarium. To avoid getting lost among the many boutiques, you can download the mall's official app.
How to Get There
Burj Khalifa is located near the Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall metro station. From there, a covered walkway leads to the mall, which takes about 10 minutes to walk through. The mall is open from 10 AM to midnight, and the fountain shows take place every 30 minutes from 6 PM to 11 PM.
I decided not to visit the Burj Khalifa’s observation decks and instead opted for the panoramic platform at Dubai Frame, which I will discuss in my next article about Dubai.
Have a nice trip!
