Burj Dubai renamed as height revealed

The tallest tower in the world was officially inaugurated this evening by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai. And in a surprise announcement, the Burj Dubai was officially unveiled as the Burj Khalifa, named after the UAE President and ruler of Abu Dhabi. The tower's official height was declared to be 828 metres, 10 metres taller than previous estimates had suggested.

Construction work on the newly named Burj Khalifa began in early 2004, and by July 2007, with the building of the 141st storey, it was the world's tallest building, surpassing the 448m Taipei 101 in Taiwan.

The building topped out in January 2009 with the completion of the spire. Over 110,000 tonnes of concrete were used to construct the foundations, while 330,000m3 of concrete and 39,000 tonnes of steel rebar were used for the tower, according to developer Emaar.

The tower's final look differs greatly from the initial photo released by Emaar and its total height was a closely guarded secret throughout.

The tower itself includes the Armani Residences and the Armani Hotel, private apartments, restaurants and the observation deck on level 124, which will be accessible to the general public.