Burj Dubai Still World's Tallest Building?

The Burj Dubai, set to open in January 2010, is regarded as currently being the world's tallest building, however a change in the 'tall buildings criteria' from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) could change that.

The CTBUH is an international body that decides on tall building height and determines the title of 'The World's Tallest Building', but yesterday the organisation announced a change to its height criteria.

Now, a building's height will be "measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance" allowing, the body said in a statement, "for the recognition of the increasing numbers of multi-use tall buildings with often several different entrances at different levels, while also accommodating buildings constructed in non-traditional urban or suburban locations."

Before the change, the CTBUH measured the height of a building from the sidewalk outside the main entrance to the top, but they have now determined that this is no longer sufficient.

Overall, there are three revised height categories:

Height to architectural top
It is measured to the topmost architectural feature of the building including spires, but not including antennae, signage, flag poles or other technical equipment.

Height to highest occupied floor in a tower
It is measured to the level of the highest, consistently occupied floor in the building (thus not including service or mechanical areas which experience occasional maintenance access)

Height to tip
This is measured to the highest point of the building, irrespective of material or function of the highest element.

Burj Dubai affected?

So, could the Burj Dubai lose its title after just claiming it a few months ago? David Scott, ex-chairman at CTBUH and Principal at Arup doesn't think so.

"Throughout the process, we have been talking to them to define where the entrance is [the new criteria]. I do not think that it will have an impact on the current status of Burj Dubai."

"There is awareness within the Burj team of what we are talking about," he said.

"The developer Emaar is still confidential about the height of the building and we don't mind it being confidential. But if they open the Burj and don't release the height, then we will measure the height of the building. During construction it is fine, but after construction we want to know and our people want to know its final height.

"This new criteria is to solve instances where a tall building had no sidewalk and the connection to the building is through an open air shopping centre. We did not want to change the heights of all the buildings in the world, of course. But this decision has been taken to really clarify how to measure the heights for different buildings."

The Burj Dubai is said to be approximately 818m (2,684ft) tall making it the largest building in the world. However, other projects being constructed could be affected by the new rules.

The Trump International Hotel and Towers in Chicago will see 27 feet added to its height, as it will now be measured from its lower, publicly accessible Chicago Riverwalk. This means it will over take the Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai to become the world's sixth tallest building.

The Burj Dubai - still the tallest

A monument to the folly of Dubai

A year ago, a world reeling from the financial crisis looked on in amazement as Dubai threw the most expensive launch party on Earth for the opening of the five-star Atlantis Hotel.

Fast forward 12 months and a massive $300bn in planned development projects have been cancelled. The sheikdom, famed for its palm-shaped man-made islands, is floundering under $80bn in debt, and many expatriates have fled leaving a trail of unpaid loans in their wake.

The Burj Dubai - at 818m the tallest building in the world - was scheduled to open in April this year as a symbol of Dubai's achievements.

But although the building now looms over the emirate's chicest development, Downtown Dubai, Burj owners are making quiet murmurs about a possible official opening in December.

This is a far cry from the A-list studded fanfare with which the Atlantis opening was celebrated.

Dubai no longer wants to draw attention to what is now seen as a symbol of excess and all that has gone wrong in the Islamic state, one source said.

Over two decades, Dubai became the land of opportunity, reminiscent of a burgeoning New York, where would-be entrepreneurs arrived from all corners of the globe.

Many became millionaires in a property boom fuelled by cheap debt.

As late as last November, Dubai seemed invincible and recruiters reported a surge in CVs from Western high-flyers keen to find a refuge in the financial storm.

But in a matter of weeks the extent of the fallout from the credit crunch became apparent.

Credit dried up and speculators were left high and dry with vastly overpriced property that they could no longer offload.

Many of the 100,000 British expatriates who had made Dubai their home were made redundant as finance, property and tourism slashed jobs.

As visas are dependant on employment, many had just 30 days to find a new job or leave the country.

Faced with the prospect of debtors' prison, thousands simply dropped off their 4X4s and sports cars at the airport - often with the keys still in the ignition - before heading for home. Parts of Dubai

currently resemble a ghost town with occupancy levels at some luxury developments as low as 50pc.

At night, the most striking views of the skyline reveal a city with many of its buildings only partially lit.

The latest figures from Colliers International, the property consultancy, reveal that residential property prices have slumped by 48pc since last year and are expected to drop a further 20pc as more major projects are completed.

JP Grobbelaar, director of research and advisory at Colliers, said: 'One in every four units is standing empty. Unless there is a dramatic improvement in economic conditions this oversupply will continue for at least the next two to three years.'

Standard & Poor's, the credit ratings agency, said Dubai needs to raise a further $10bn for its economic support fund as it does not have enough capital to prop up its struggling government-controlled companies.

Farouk Soussa, head of Middle East government ratings at S&P, said it will be down to Dubai's oilrich neighbour, Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, to step in once more.

It bailed out Dubai to the tune of $10bn earlier this year.

'The relationship is very close,' Soussa said. 'Abu Dhabi is the main sponsor in the UAE and we expect Abu Dhabi to support the government of Dubai.'

The more conservative capital is unlikely to let Dubai fail, although economists believe that support from Abu Dhabi may come at a price as it threatens the autonomy which allowed Dubai to establish itself as the Middle East's main business centre.

Property is something of a barometer of the financial health of this desert emirate, charting its ups and downs.

'Speculators were treating property like a grocer would a can of beans on the shelf, with no intention of eating it and only wanting to hold on to it for a day or two,' Grobbelaar said. 'But they got their fingers burnt.'

Today some sanity has returned to the market. Two thirds of property transactions in the past three months have been made without a mortgage, indicating serious investors are convinced the market will recover in the long term.

But whether this putative revival will return Dubai to its glittering pomp is anyone's guess.

Tallest tower set to open in Dubai

Burj Dubai, the world's tallest tower, will open on December 2, the United Arab Emirates' National Day, says the developer.

Emaar Properties started building the US$1.1 billion Burj Dubai five years ago.

The tower, centrepiece of the US$20 billion Downtown Dubai project, overtook Taipei 101 as the tallest building at 818m in February.

"We are shooting for National Day," said chairman Mohammed Alabbar. Emaar, the UAE's biggest developer, announced the completion of the exterior cladding on October 1.

About 12,000 people are working on the tower to meet the planned opening date. The final height of the building hasn't been announced.

Dubai, the second-biggest sheikhdom in the UAE, has gone from being the best performer among the 46 markets monitored in the Knight Frank global house-price index to the worst.

The slump ended a construction boom that resulted in thousands of houses and apartments being built just as demand started to evaporate.

Alabbar said the Burj "was sold almost 3 years ago, the day we launched it".

When skyscrapers signal a downturn

It's surprisingly hard to decide on the tallest building in the world. Architects are much like Hollywood stars in their tendency to try to add a couple of sneaky inches. The people at the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, who adjudicate on these matters, have had to ban all kinds of Cuban-heel equivalents, from enormous radio masts to metal "guy-ropes" holding up towers that would otherwise collapse in strong winds.

However, their job has got easier with the construction of the Burj Dubai. When it's finished in December, it will take the "world's tallest building" crown simply by dint of being really big. Standing over 800 metres high, it will be at least 290 metres taller than its nearest competitor, the Taipei 101 building in Taiwan. Its success, though, may be tarnished by the fact that it arrives in a very different world to that in which it was conceived. The property market in Dubai has plummeted and we're still stuck in the economic winter.

This won't have surprised analyst Andrew Lawrence. In 1999 the research director at investment bank Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein invented something called the "Skyscraper index", arguing that the construction of super-tall buildings is often a sign that an economic downturn is on the way. The best example is the late 1920s, which saw an unprecedented skyscraper boom prior to the Great Depression. The Empire State Building, which was finished in 1929, didn't achieve full occupancy for 40 years. Other examples include the Sears Tower in Chicago, finished in time for the Oil Crisis of 1974, and the Petronas Towers in Malaysia, which appeared after the Malaysian stockmarket went down the plughole in 1997. By the time Canary Wharf was finished in 1991, the London commercial property market was in recession; and the slower pace of building in Britain means our next record-breaking white elephant, the Shard Of Glass in London's Southwark, won't be completed until 2012.

Skyscrapers, then, are the physical embodiment of "irrational exuberance" in the markets. The rule is that if there's enough money sloshing around to pay for one, then don't be surprised if, by the time the purple ribbon's cut, the scissors have to be on hire purchase.

Dubai skyscraper symbol of S. Korea's global heights

Standing in the shadow of the Burj Dubai Kye Ho Kim of Samsung Construction rattles off the list of records the building will break.

Standing about a half mile high, it will be the world's tallest building, with the most floors (164) and the world's highest and fastest building. "This building is going to break so many records," said Kim, whose company is building the $4 billion tower, scheduled to open later this year. "This is kind of a project like the first exploration of the moon. Nobody can challenge it."

It may not rank with manned missions to the moon, but right now there is nothing else like the Burj Dubai on Earth. As the project is metaphoric for the strength of Samsung Construction, the company itself symbolizes the growth of South Korea onto the world stage. A country once devastated by war and still divided by north and south has rebuilt itself into a modern capitalist democracy with companies with a global reach such as Samsung

Samsung has cornered the market in giant building construction, building the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and Taipei 101 in Taiwan -- both previous world-record holders.

"Think about the Americans when they constructed the Empire State Building in 1931," Kim said. "So have we ... in a very short period of time we are now the leading company in the world."

Some of Korea's more impressive building projects are happening at home. In the midst of the recession, construction of Songdo -- a 1,500-acre new free trade zone built on reclaimed land two hours out of Seoul -- continues apace, with a projected cost of $35 billion. Developers hope it will be the eventual home of 75,000 people.

It's considered one of the world's largest private real estate development ventures in history, a joint project with South Korea's Posco and Gale International, a U.S. real estate developer. "Under construction today is about $10 billion" of the project, said Chris Sausser, executive vice president of Gale International. "The project we're building has been able to attract multinational companies, investors as well as residents."

Postwar South Korea was based on a "growth at any cost" model, but the South Korean government has pledged 2 percent of its GDP for the next five years dedicated to green development. The country, already the world's most wired, plans to develop next-generation Internet connections that use less computing power. Indoor lighting initiatives are replacing traditional bulbs with lower energy LED lights.

"Green growth is not a plan B, it is plan A," said Kim Sang Hyup, executive director of the Green Growth Committee. "We are going to contribute to the global community by action, not talk."

Dubai tower to open in stages

The developer building the world's tallest skyscraper says it is committed to opening the Burj Dubai by the end of the year, though a staggered rollout means only part of the silvery tower will be ready at first.

Ahmad al-Matrooshi, managing director of Emaar Properties' UAE operations, said yesterday that the opening date was being kept secret to build excitement.

But he insisted that major work was nearly complete and the tower would meet Emaar's latest deadline to inaugurate the building by the end of December.

"The building is ready. It's a matter of a few items," he said.

Burj Dubai, Arabic for "Dubai Tower", stands more than 800m tall. Emaar finished covering the building's facade just last week.

It has yet to confirm the tower's final height.

Al-Matrooshi declined to say how much of the building would be ready to go on opening day. He said the tower would be opened in phases to ensure smooth operation.

"See, you cannot just open a building like this," he said. "There are a lot of operational issues that should be ready. We cannot compromise the quality of the building."

Meanwhile, work on another highly anticipated skyscraper in the struggling Arab boomtown - a gleaming luxury hotel by Donald Trump meant as a centrepiece for Dubai's original palm-shaped island - looks likely to remain on hold.

Donald Trump jnr, executive vice-president of the Trump Organisation, said he would like to see work on the Trump International Hotel & Tower get under way in two years, but acknowledged "it's going to take some time" for the project to be restarted.

"When it makes sense, we want to go forward with it," Trump said. "I wouldn't say it's going to happen any time soon."

The Trump hotel is being built by Dubai state-owned developer Nakheel. It stopped work on the glass-clad structure and numerous other projects, including some of its signature man-made islands, over the past year as property prices plummeted and cash dried up.

The executives spoke during the first day of Dubai's Cityscape property expo, traditionally one of the highlights of the sheikdom's business calendar.

Thin crowds and toned-down exhibits - at least by Dubai's over-the-top standards - left the event far quieter than in years past, reflecting a crippling slowdown in Dubai's once white-hot property market.

Home prices have plunged by half from their peak less than a year earlier, according to a widely watched index of Dubai property prices released in August.

Hundreds of multimillion-dollar projects have been put on hold as speculators who made easy cash flipping properties disappeared and builders struggled to secure financing for projects - even those already well under way.

Exhibitors at this year's expo were taking an uncharacteristically cautious approach to the show.

Gone were the celebrity cameos and eye-popping project launches of years past, replaced instead by assurances from struggling developers that they could deliver on their promises.

"Committed to delivery" was the slogan touted by one builder at this year's show.

Organisers say exhibitors are taking up nearly a third less space than they did last year, and expect attendance to drop by 20 per cent.

Burj Dubai photo update may 6th 2009

Burj Dubai photo update may 6th 2009, here is some nice photos of the Burj Dubai taken today. The Burj has now topped out and it's at 818 meters.

Burj Dubai interior work in progress

Work on the interiors of Burj Dubai, the world's tallest building developed by Emaar Properties, is progressing alongside the tower's exterior cladding.

The tower is currently over 800 metres (2,624.7 ft) high. The interior design of Burj Dubai was conceptualised and led by designer Nada Andric of Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM).

Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman, Emaar Properties, said: "Burj Dubai is a once-in-a-lifetime architectural accomplishment and is the Arab World's tribute to the art and science of modern engineering and design."

He added: "The interiors place a special focus on the region's heritage and geographical location in its design approach and selection of materials. The design emphasises on the best results in space planning and utilisation alongside the finest detailing, to give residents and visitors an unprecedented lifestyle experience."

Apart from glass, stainless steel and dark stones, the interiors also feature Silver Travertine flooring, Venetian stucco walls, handmade rugs, stone flooring and dark, intricate Brazilian Santos Rosewood to reflect shelter, comfort, and above all, restrained luxury. Surfaces on the upper floors will be advanced in finishes of silver metallic lacquers to provide a sense of brightness.

Burj Dubai and Dubai skyline

Here is a nice photo of the skyline of Dubai and the Burj dubai tower. The second photo is a photoshop edited version of what Dubai might look like in the future with more 400 to 500 meter skycrapers.



Photosshop version of what Dubai might look like in the near future...

Burj Dubai Lobby

Here is a nice photo of the Burj Dubai lobby.

Burj Dubai photo update may 1st 2009

Burj Dubai photo update may 1st 2009, photos were taken standing on the roof of the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel at the Sheikh Zayed Road.



Zoomed photo of Burj Dubai

Dubai Skyline

Here is a nice photo of the skyline of Dubai during a recent storm. This image also makes for a nice computer screen background. You might want to crop the image a little to remove the border...

Lightning hits the Burj Dubai

Here is a amimated gif of a recent lightning strike at the Burj Dubai.

Dubai's lightning risk soars with highrises

Dubai: With more and more tall structures coming up in Dubai, the chances of a lightning strike is increasing, according to a technical expert.

Sonjib Banerjee, technical director of Duval Messien, a French multinational specialised in Global Protection services, told Gulf News that it seems it is now mandatory to have lightning protection systems which are pro-active, intelligent, remotely monitored and maintenance-free for tall structures.

He said it is a myth that Dubai and the Gulf area are not vulnerable to lightning strikes. He referred to a lightning strike near Burj Dubai on November 26 and said it confirms the need for adequate lightning protection measures for all tall structures.

"The thunderstorm days in the UAE are about 10 per year. This means that, one lightning strike may happen per square kilometre per year in worst conditions, with a minimum of one lightning strike per 7 square kilometre per year," he said.

"A 100-metre-high building of 30 floors is five times more at risk in comparison to 50-metre-high building of 15 floors. This risk factor goes up, as the height of the building goes up," he said.

Banerjee said the probability of a lightning strike is calculated based on utility, type of construction and location of the structure.

Banerjee also said proper earthing is the only "safety valve" in the event of any electrical fault or lightning strike. The key challenge of the industry is to disseminate the latest knowledge in earthing science and to incorporate the latest technology in the country's safety regulations, he said.

"A survey reveals that 70 per cent of the residents in the UAE are at risk of being involved in electrical fires. Use of proper electrical accessories like three-pin plugs and sockets and branded circuit breakers are some precautionary measures against electrical fire hazards," he said.

Banerjee said the issue of electrical safety impacts the community, including the environment. The intelligent community needs to be more aware of each safety component, the options available and how electrical faults are dissipated.

He said all facilities that use electricity are at risk. The intensity of damage depends on the load capacity of each equipment. Faults can strike anywhere and cause an accident.

"We need to have safety measures inbuilt in the system to avert it. Inflammable materials catch fire faster, but they are part of our life at home or work. The consequential damages in both cases are huge," he said.

Safety standards

Standards of electrical safety of structures are defined in various international codes. Banerjee said the structures in Dubai need to follow these codes without compromise. The implication of such compromise may directly affect the safety of lives and assets. It also involves understanding the effect of the structures on the environment.

"In the entire concept of electrical safety system, buildings in Dubai like all parts of the world, must adhere to proven standards. Currently we believe there may be a need to re-evaluate some areas of concern, based on latest available technology and proven science," he said.

Naming Dubai’s Burj Dubai Lake

BY now you’ll be wondering how the fountain in Dubai’s Burj Dubai Lake got its name? Wonder no more at the wonder:

WHEN we commissioned this fountain for Burj Dubai Lake, we knew it would be one of the worlds finest water features, integrating water, music and light into a grand spectacle. Powerful water nozzles shoot sprays to the height of a fifty-storey building, while over 6,600 lights and 50 colour projectors create a visual spectrum of over 1,000 different water expressions.

By holding a competition to choose a suitable name for this fountain, we wanted to engage the residents of Dubai in the creation of a new landmark for the city, and to demonstrate the spirit of solidarity among UAE residents. The response to the competition has been overwhelming, with more than 4,000 participants from over 100 nationalities taking part. Entries were received from across the globe, reflecting Dubai’s growing global significance.

“What we were looking for was a name for the fountain that is simple, has instant brand recall, and above all celebrates the global standing of Dubai as a multicultural destination, and home to over 180 nationalities. On September 15th, a distinguished panel met and selected the winning name, which echoes the rising global prominence of Dubai, and will be a fitting tribute to the city. The name they have chosen is ‘Dubai Fountain’”…

Super Tall Burj Dubai Is Nor Shaharom's Pride

By Muin Abdul Majid

DUBAI, Dec 12 (Bernama) -- He has been involved in Emaar Properties' Burj Dubai project since Day 1 but Malaysian Nor Shaharom Mansor never fails to be awestruck by the sight of the architectural marvel making its way upward towards the heavens.

But Nor Shaharom, assistant director at Emaar for the Burj Dubai tower project, is not about to let the cat out of the bag when it comes to the best-kept secret in town -- the final height of the iconic building that can be seen from kilometres away.

And he will tell you that any attempt to glean that precious bit of information from other parties involved with the project may also prove futile.

"Every consultant and contractor working on this project has been asked to sign a secrecy-undertaking to make sure the dissemination of information is controlled," Melaka-born Nor Shaharom told Bernama at his temporary office nestled at the foot of the under-construction skyscraper.

"The actual height is still a secret. It'll be made public maybe a day before the opening," he laughed, venturing an answer after constant prodding about how tall the building would be.

WORLD'S TALLEST STRUCTURE

Already billed as the world's tallest man-made structure, Dubai-based developer Emaar has said that Burj Dubai will be completed in September 2009.

It was originally scheduled for completion by the end of this year but the target date has been shifted due to revisions in the tower's height and design enhancements.

For the architecture graduate from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the United States, being involved in an endeavour of such magnitude represents both a great challenge and privilege.

"The way I see it, this is probably the peak of my career. The tower is the tallest structure ever built by mankind; no one has ever done this before. It's the pinnacle of human achievement one may say," Nor Shaharom said.

"You're basically involved from the conception of the project right up to its completion," was how Nor Shaharom, who was originally seconded to Emaar from a Kuala Lumpur-based project management company, summed up his job.

CITY-WITHIN-A-CITY

The Burj Dubai is to be the centrepiece of a 200ha city-within-a-city development called Downtown Burj Dubai.

The US$20 billion project as a whole includes 30,000 homes, hotels including the world's first Armani Hotel being developed in association with haute couture major Giorgio Armani S.p.A., residential towers, luxury office suites, parkland, a man-made lake and what Emaar promises to be a spectacular water feature called the "Dubai Fountain".

The Burj Dubai will also have an observation deck on level 124 that will be open to the public, a two-level parking and a five-storey podium.

Also in the vicinity is the recently-opened The Dubai Mall, billed as one of the world's largest shopping and entertainment destinations.

Emaar is partnering with South Korean construction major Samsung Corporation and New York-based project manager Turner Construction in constructing Burj Dubai.

THE FINAL HEIGHT

It was reported in April this year that Burj Dubai had actually surpassed the height of the KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota, US, to become the world's tallest man-made structure.

Burj Dubai's height was then 629m while the KVLY-TV mast, which held the record for the world's tallest supported structure since 1963, has a height of 628.8m.

Rumour has it that the final height of Burj Dubai will be between 700m and 1,000m. It has been reported that another Dubai-based developer, Nakheel, is planning to build a one-kilometre-high tower to trump Emaar's Burj Dubai.

So, how is the view from up there.

"It's magnificent," gushed Nor Shaharom. And it can be cold when you are up in the clouds.

"For every 100m you go up, the temperature drops 0.7 degrees Celsius. It's pretty cold especially during the winter months. So each time I go up there I've to wear thick clothing ," he said.

MALAYSIA CAN DO IT

For Nor Shaharom, the challenge is more down to earth.

"When I took up the challenge to come here, I felt this responsibility as a Malaysian to show that you can go to the international level and compete with people from other places," he said.

Reflecting on this chapter of his career, he admitted that it had not been easy.

"It took a bit of time to get into the flow of things and also I had to go the extra mile to earn respect from colleagues who are all from overseas," he said.

And having a big dose of discipline and dedication will not hurt either, said Nor Shaharom.

With some 45 consultants and 8,000 skilled workers toiling round-the-clock to complete the super tall building which is rising at the rate of one floor every three days, Nor Shaharom has to be on his toes all the time.

Queried how he would feel once Burj Dubai is completed, he smiled and declared: "I would say `Malaysia Boleh'" (Malaysia Can Do It).

-- BERNAMA

Burj Dubai stands tall amid crisis

Yes, the world is in financial turmoil. Yes, almost every country has a sliding stock and property market, interest rate and confidence level. And yes, jobs are being lost.

But it seems the world around us would rather hammer this all home every waking moment, than allow us to drift away in blissful ignorance. Every TV channel, newspaper, and conversation is bursting with 2008's most-abused phrase – credit crunch. It's like a toothache that won't relent. But there is always room for positive stories – and going by last week's most-popular online features, readers agree.

Amid all the mayhem, there will always be a silver lining. While we're far from thrilled that major proposed developments around the world have slowed, we were proud that the consequence is Burj Dubai will likely stand uncontested as the world's tallest building for at least a decade, as we reported.

The Emaar skyscraper truly is the masterpiece of Dubai's architectural prowess and gives everyone who lives here a reason to stand proud. That's precisely why it was this week's most read online story.

The world may shudder at the emirate's staggering pace of development and may throw taunts of manufactured glory and status. But isn't that convenient hypocrisy? The London Eye observation wheel in London, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and every other structure that countries hold close to their heart are all products of creative, structural genius inspiring man-made wonders.

So we'll embrace Burj Dubai as ours. We'll make multiple visits there with our friends and families and tag ourselves in Facebook photos that reveal our pride of being here.

Elsewhere in last week's online reads, reporter Ryan Harrison's look into what Christmas has in store for us this year was the next most clicked-on feature. With many people running low on the dough, it's always nice to know what and where the best offers are.

It's the season of super-saver deals, where low end trumps high end, and value additions are bid farewell. However, few would want to share the retail industry's predicament. With shopping volume down, they want to cut advertising to reduce costs and yet still try to make every offer visible. It's like ensuring Britney Spears tops the charts without buying radio and video airtime and massive PR. It doesn't work.

A surprising third was John McAuley's detailed look at Damac's Lake Terrace in Jumeirah Lake Towers. It seems there are quite a few shrewd investors who still have enough stashed away to grab fantastic square footage off the property market. This fact was cemented when we learnt the fourth most read piece was Make Your Money Goa Further.

Escaping gloom is a fantastic tourism opportunity, but people keen to invest in places that offer sun and sand and little less, is quite intriguing. So, while funds are low, could Goa replace the beach destinations of Europe and the West?

From beaches to flowers, not only did the Homes pull-out deliver beautiful distractions, it also delivered three of this week's top five stories. Kate Copsey's article offered valuable insight on just that - how to grow roses in your own desert garden.

Burj Dubai to remain world's tallest skyscraper atleast for a decade

The global financial crisis has assured that Emaar's Burj Dubai would continue to remain the tallest skyscraper, atleast for a decade, and would keep up the region's pride, say analysts. Although, several other projects were announced that claimed to surpass Burj Dubai's height, analysts now agree that all such projects would require several billions for completion, and hence, they have all been bought to a halt.

The crisis is expected to govern global lives for the next three to five years, and an additional five years at least, would be required for the towers to surpass the 818 meters final height of Burj Dubai, and hence, it is now safe to say that the astonishing landmark, Burj Dubai, would cement its place as the world's tallest building till 2019. About four projects have been announced till date to outstrip Dubai. One being the Al Burj Tower by Nakheel in Dubai, the others are the Murjan Tower 1 in Bahrain, Burj Mubarak al-Kabir in Kuwait, and a kilometer high tower for Jeddah by Saudi Arabian Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal.

Located in Business Bay district of Dubai, the Burj Dubai, the tallest man-made structure ever, will be ready for occupation in September 2009. The building, which forms a part of the 2 Square Kilometer development, called 'Downtown Dubai' along the Sheikh Zayed Road at Doha Street, holds records of being the tallest structure, tallest freestanding structure, building with maximum floors, in the world.

Burj Dubai October 26th 2008 photo update

Burj Dubai October 26th 2008 photo update, here is some nice photos of the Burj dubai taken today, they shey show the spire progress and cladding progress. The spire is being built in the tower at this time and will be jacked up in the near future.

Burj Dubai October 25th 2008 photo update

Burj Dubai October 25th 2008 photo update, here is three photos taken today of the Burj Dubai and a nice skyline photo of Dubai.

Burj Dubai October 24th 2008 photo update

Burj Dubai October 24th 2008 photo update, the first photo is very nice it shows the Burj Dubai and the skyline of Dubai. the last two photos were taken today.

Burj Dubai October 23rd 2008 photo update

Burj Dubai October 23rd 2008 photo update, here is a very nice photo of the Burj Dubai and the surrounding property

Burj Dubai October 22nd 2008 photo update

Burj Dubai October 22nd 2008 photo update, a photo of the Burj Dubai taken today and a print of a news story about a documentary of the Burj Dubai.

Burj Dubai October 21st 2008 photo update

Burj Dubai October 21st 2008 photo update, here is some photos of the Burj Dubai spot lights in a display.

Burj Dubai October 20th 2008 photo update #2

Burj Dubai October 20th 2008 photo update #2, here is another photo update of some very nice photos taken today of the Burj Dubai. The first photo is of the water fountains that will be at the Burj Dubai.

Detail diagram of the Burj Dubai October 20th 2008

Detail diagram of the Burj Dubai October 20th 2008, a update to show recent progress of the spire.

Burj Dubai October 20th 2008 photo update

Burj Dubai October 20th 2008 photo update, more photos of the spire erection the tower is changing very fast at the top the past couple weeks.

Burj Dubai October 19th 2008 photo update

Burj Dubai October 19th 2008 photo update, there photos were taken today of the Burj Dubai tower they show the spire very clear.