My Dubai Trip - Part 6

I finally got the opportunity to visit some of the iconic buildings in Dubai. From my hotel, after a two station train stop using Dubai's new metro system, I arrived at the Burj al Khalifah complex. The buildings there are truly unique.

The tallest building in the world - Burj al Khalifah. I've blogged about this building and its surroundings many moons ago (see: http://meoramri.blogspot.com/2009/03/burj-dubai-dubai-tower-and-dubai-mall.html). To be able to see with my own two eyes is very exiting to me.

At 15:00 hours, the building looks gleaming in the afternoon sun. Silvery and polished. Even my Panasonic camera (I should have brought my Nikon SLR but due to weight issues, I decided to bring a compact) finds it difficult to get the whole building in one frame. When I took the picture above, I was approximately 500 meters away from the building.

Compared to the other buildings around it, it dwarfs them not only in-terms of height but also the base of the building. Due to the sheer weight of the building, a huge base is definitely required to support the building. Below is a picture of the surrounding buildings. If it is in KL, these buildings can be considered hugh (each one of them exceed 45 stories).

Despite it being considered open, the surrounding areas is still very much a work-in-progress. Loads of barren land waiting to be developed or turfed with grass. Only here, will you realise that Dubai is situated on a desert.

The Armani hotel is up and running. While taking these pictures, I got the urge to enter the hotel and have a look.

The front of the building is impressive with fountains all around. It does appear that water is easily sourced. With money, nothing is impossible.

Unfortunately, I was stopped by the police just before the main entrance. It seems that prior appointment is required to even enter the building. I tried to con my way to try to get the Armani hotel but even that would require prior reservations. Oh well, I will have to enjoy the building from the outside.

The company that owns this project, Nakheel is currently constructing their new buildings that looks like the sail from the old Arab sailboats. A twin tower project which is still under development. Since Nakheel defaulted on their loans earlier which forced them to accept help from Abu Dhabi, hence the change in name from Burj al Dubai to Burk al Khalifah (in honour of the Dubai Royal Family), I would not be surprised if this project will take a long time to complete. It would be shame since its close proximity to the Burj al Khalifah make is a real eye-sore to visitors.

Additional shots of the the same building.

In part 7 I will visit the Dubai Mall, the biggest mall in the world.