burj dubai

The Burj Dubai Opens On Monday

This year will finally see the long-awaited opening of the world's tallest tower, the Burj Dubai. The tower which is essentially a vertical city will have over 12,000 people living and working in it and has over 160 stories. The mixed-use tower includes the Armani Residences, prime apartments with furnishings by Armani Casa which will open up for residents in February. The Armani Hotel Dubai will open later and is one of nine hotels planned for the tower.

On Monday, developer Emaar Properties will take charge of the property and from January 5 on, the public will be able to visit 'At The Top', the world's highest observation deck on Level 124 of the tower. Construction started back in 2004 and the tower has topped out at a height of 2,683 feet. The Burj Dubai will be the tallest free-standing structure in the world with the highest number of stories in the world and has an elevator with the longest travel distance in the world.

In many ways the lofty skyscraper is a symptom of Dubai's overweening belief in its own future. The tower was meant to show the world the strength of Dubai's real estate market and is growing draw in the world but it already seems to already be outdated, a shining symbol of a more carefree time, a time before people lost their faith in real estate. The tower has 37 floors of office space which is expected to be mostly vacant for a long while even though Emaar Properties has said that the building is sold out.

The world's news media is gathering in Dubai for Monday's event but for those of us not able to get to Dubai, there is a revamped website on the tower.

Tags: armani, burj dubai, BurjDubai, dubai, tallest tower, TallestTower, worlds tallest tower, WorldsTallestTower

Celebs Losing $100K a Week on Their Dubai Mansions

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Real Estate Developments, Wealth

One side effect of the implosion of Dubai's economy which my colleague Deidre Woollard reported on last month is the plummeting value of trophy properties owned by certain superstars. Celebs including David and Victoria Beckham (above), Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, and Michael Jackson are losing £80,000 or over $100,000 a week as the luxury real estate they purchased in the over-inflated Emirate plunges in value, the London Daily Mirror reports. Posh properties that were worth £3.2 million (or about $4.4 million) in October now on the market for £1.6 million (or about $2.2 million), i.e. only half as much.

"The Dubai market has fallen off a cliff," Jack Whisker of luxury agents Dream Property Dubai tells the paper. "The credit crunch hit us suddenly because all the foreign investors lost confidence. It has hit the higher-value properties the hardest." In January Deidre reported that the Beckhams, who have a luxury villa on the Palm Jumeirah complex, were considering purchasing a second property in the Burj Dubai tower, so they could be doubly exposed. Brad and Angelina reportedly own one of the artificial islands in the out-there development known as The World.

Gallery: Dubai

Tags: Angelina Jolie, AngelinaJolie, Brad Pitt, BradPitt, Burj Dubai, BurjDubai, David Beckham, DavidBeckham, Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, PalmJumeirah, pamela anderson, PamelaAnderson, UAE, Victoria Beckham, VictoriaBeckham

Will The Beckhams Move Into The Burj Dubai?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Celebrity Shopping

The latest resident in the Burj Dubai tower may just be soccer star and Armani model David Beckham. Beckham has reportedly been approached by representatives from the tower who would like to have an internationally known name in their Dubai masterpiece. The tower is currently the world's tallest building and there will be 144 Armani-designed units in the building. Beckham and his wife Victoria are currently in Dubai while Beckahm tours with the AC Milan team. The Beckhams have a luxury villa on the Palm Jumeirah complex.

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Tags: burj dubai, BurjDubai, celebrity real estate, CelebrityRealEstate, david beckham, DavidBeckham, dubai

Another Great Place To Check Out The View In Dubai

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

It's hard to find a more dramatic view in Dubai than the one at Neos, the highest lounge in Dubai city. Neos is part of The Address, Downtown Burj Dubai, the flagship property of The Address Hotels + Resorts. It has panoramic 360 degree views across the city with floor-to-ceiling windows. The club features black granite infused with reflective quartz for a twinkling starlight effect. Crystal chandeliers enhance the starburst effect and a fiber optic light curtain surrounds the high gloss black lacquer elevator. The decor includes 20-foot tall towers made of mirror polished stainless steel cladding . The menu includes French oysters and Boston lobster and a world caviar selection.

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Tags: burj dubai, BurjDubai, dubai, neos

The Burj Dubai To Get A Secret Height Boost

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

Construction has been underway on the world's tallest building, the Burj Dubai, for a while now. But developer Emaar Properties has announced that the building is going to be even taller than originally planned. How tall? They aren't telling. The final height of the Burj Dubai won't be revealed until it is finished in September 2009. Why the secrecy? Likely so that no one else will try to build one that is taller until the building officially opens. The tower, which at 2,036.6 feet is already the world's tallest structure, currently has 160 stories.

The tower is also upgrading and redesign the interior to make it as attractive as possible and to make room for technological advancements that have occurred between now and 2004 when some of the building's interiors were planned. Right now around 7,500 people are employed on-site at Burj Dubai. The cladding work is nearing completion and they are working on the infrastructure. When completed the tower will be home to residences, office suites an Armani Hotel and Armani Residences and observation deck on Level 124 which will offer visitors sky high views.

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Tags: burj dubai, BurjDubai, dubai, emaar, worlds tallest building, WorldsTallestBuilding

Big Trouble At The Burj Dubai

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Trouble at the Burj Dubai, the building set to be the world's tallest skyscraper. According to an AP article, Asian workers angered by low salaries and mistreatment went on a rampage and smashed cars and offices on Wednesday. The 2,500 workers did around $1 million worth of damage. Worker discontent has been a growing problem in Dubai for a while. The massive development boom in the Gulf countries has led to a need for foreign labor. In the Emirates, more than three-quarters of the population may be foreigners. This isn't the first demonstration, last year, workers held strikes over unpaid salaries. A spokesman for the labor company has said that the issues have been resolved and the employees will be returning to work.

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Tags: burj dubai, BurjDubai, dubai, emirates, foreign labor, middle east, uae, workers