World’s tallest building has opened in Dubai

The world's tallest tower, Burj Dubai, will be inaugurated today (Monday). The exact height of the tower, which will reach over 800 metres, is still unknown.

It is reported that the inauguration will take place in the presence of Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, today, the fourth anniversary of the accession of Shaikh Mohammad.

Construction work on the The Burj Dubai, the tallest man-made structure ever built, got underway on 21 September 2004. It is the flagship scheme in Downtown Burj Dubai along Shaikh Zayed Road, near Dubai's main business district.

The total budget for the Burj Dubai project is around £2.3 billion. The tower, designed by architect Adrian Smith, has used 330,000 cubic metres of concrete and 39,000 tonnes of steel rebar, and has taken 22 million man-hours to build.

The opening of the project, initially earmarked for early 2009, has been delayed on several occasions, largely due to the ongoing financial crisis in the emirate.