Burj Khalifa.
With 829.8 m (2,722 ft) the tallest building in the World.
Majestic structure inspired by the symmetries of a regional desert flower, White Hymenocallisor SpiderLily.
With so many records already in Dubai’s bag, it was kind of expected, that the building which only took 6 years to be constructed, would enter World Guinness record in more than just one category. At the time this steel and concrete super skyscraper was completed, in 2010, it set 15 separate world records. Many of them are in ‘the tallest’ section but that is not all there is.
Below you can find some amazing facts I learned on my visit to this famous Emaar-owned Dubai landmark that stands proud and tall in Dubai downtown. I hope you will get courageous and curious enough to visit it when in Dubai.
Disclosure (being transparent and honest should be fun): You know the way I run this blog. I only recommend experiences, hotels, etc. that I personally tried and products I actually own and use. On my site, you will see pretty colorful links which are known as ”affiliate links”. If you click on this link and buy something you like, I’ll earn some money. I’m talking huge bucks here, like a new Tesla, yacht, and 7-bedroom mansion. Ok, honestly, most of the time it will be enough to help me buy treats for my dog and parrot, eco-friendly travel products or to help me build a time machine, and travel back in time to see the dinosaurs, do an interview of stone crafters on Easter island and have a serious chat with masterminds who ‘invented’ Maths. Thank you for your support!
Don’t have the time to read it now? Pin it for later!
Visiting Burj Khalifa
Burj Khalifa is an iconic building in Dubai (and in the world).
That is why I believe, no Dubai itinerary should be without the visit of an observation deck. The views of Dubai from above are magnificent! You can see Dubai’s impressive skyline from a different perspective and how other skyscrapers are like dwarfs compared to Burj.
The entrance is at the Level Ground of Dubai Mall, easily accessible with the Metro red line. The cost will depend on the level you want to go to (124+125, 148, 152+153+154) and the time of the day you would like to visit (morning, daytime, sunset, night). This was the ticket I used to see Burj Khalifa.
During the visit, you will see panels and interactive videos to inform you about historic Dubai, history of the building, and screens that allow you to zoom to particular landmarks. Book your ticket in advance using this site to avoid a long wait and to reserve a preferred time slot.
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, where is Burj Khalifa the tallest in/of them all?”
Burj Khalifa: The tallest
1. The tallest building in the world
It is 829.8 m (2,722 ft) tall. When opened in 2010, it took the crown from Taipei 101 with 508.2 m (1,667 ft). To get that height you would need 9 Statues of Liberty, 93 m (305 ft), stacked on one another. To compare this with more landmarks, Burj Khalifa is nearly three times as tall as the Eiffel Tower, 330 m (1,083 ft), and almost twice the height of the Empire State building, 443 m (1,454 ft). If you would put the building pieces one next to the other, they would stretch more than a quarter of the way around the world.
2. The Tallest skyscraper to top of the spire
Burj Khalifa is also the tallest skyscraper measured to the top of the spire, with 828 m (2,717 ft). Previously the record holder in this category was Taipei 101 with 508.2 m (1,667 ft).
3. Tallest skyscraper to top of the antenna
Not surprising at all but Burj Khalifa also took the crown in the tallest skyscraper to top of antenna with 829.8 m (2,722 ft). The title in this category was previously the ‘antenna’ of Willia (formerly Sears) Tower with 527 m (1,729 ft).
4. The tallest existing structure
At the moment, Burj Khalifa is the tallest existing structure measuring a whopping 829.8 m (2,722 ft). This might change in the future. There are two towers, that could potentially outreach Burj Khalifa. The construction of 1000 m high Jeddah tower in Saudi Arabia is currently on hold. The Burj Mubarak Al-Kabir project in Kuwait is planning to get even higher. When and if constructed it should be 1001 m high and have 234 floors. They are planning to start building it in 2023. It would take approximately 25 years to complete. Before the construction of Burj Khalifa, this title belonged to the KVLY-TV mast with 628.8 m (2,063 ft).
5. The tallest free-standing structure in the world
Quite self-explanatory. Free-standing means that the structure stands on its own and doesn’t require any support. Are you thinking about what are not free-standing structures? Those are the guyed towers. They depend on tension cables connected to them and to the ground for stability. Those towers don’t have the strength to stand on their own. Before the Burj Khalifa was built this title belonged to Toronto’s CN Tower 553.3 m (1,815 ft).
6. The tallest man-made structure on land
Nothing of that magnitude was ever built on the land. There are still some debates going on if underwater height should also be counted. This question is for the oil platforms with greater underwater ‘heights’ than above them. If we acknowledge both then The Magnolia Tension-leg Platform in the Gulf of Mexico is the tallest man-made structure with a total height of 1,432 m (4,698 ft). Previously that title belonged to the Warsaw radio mast with 646.38 m (2,121 ft).
7. Tallest structure with residential space
Burj Khalifa is a multi-purpose building. Here you will find a variety of commercial, hospitality, and residential venues.
8. Burj Khalifa has the tallest service elevator in the world
Elevator measures 504 m (1,654 ft). Which is almost one-and-a-half times that of the Empire State Building in New York 381 m (1,250 feet) (without the antenna). Other elevators then take visitors to higher levels. The double-deck cabins travel at speeds of 64 km/h (40 mph), or 1,076 m (3,500 ft) per minute – also a world record.
Pin this for later!
Burj Khalifa: The highest
9. The highest number of stories in the world
Altogether Burj Khalifa has more than 160 stories. An impressive number of 163 to be exact. The previous record holder was World Trade Center with 110 floors.
10. The highest occupied floor in the world
This is measured from the lowest, open-air pedestrian entrance, to the highest continually occupied floor in the building. Maintenance areas are not included. Floors from 77 to 108 are residential areas. The top occupied floors are reaching as high as 385 m (1,263 ft) above the ground.
11. The highest outdoor observation deck in the world
You can visit this as a tourist. This outdoor observation deck called “At the top” is on the 124th floor, 452 m (1,483 ft) above the ground. The highest observation deck, not outdoors, is in Shanghai Tower at a height of 561 m (1,840 ft). You can reserve your spot here.
12. World highest nightclub
Nightclub is located on 144th floor and it belongs to the famous fashion icon Giorgio Armani. To enter you must be 21 years or older, and wear smart and elegant. There is a minimum spend of AED 3000.
13. Worlds Highest indoor swimming pool
You can find one on the 76th floor of burj Khalifa, 270 m (886 ft) high.
14. World’s highest New Year display of fireworks
More than 1.6 tonnes of fireworks were released from the Burj Khalifa on New Year’s Eve 2015.
15. Highest lounge in the world
The Lounge in Burj Khalifa stands at an incomparable height of 585.36 m (1,919 ft) and covers the floors 152, 153 and 154. You can visit them by booking your ticket here. Expensive but worth it.
16. Highest base jump from a building
Fearless base jumpers Fred Fugen and Vince Reffet jumped from the top at 828 m (2,717 ft) pinnacle of the tower on 21 April 2014 and filmed a video doing it.
Pin this for later!
Amazing facts and figures about Burj Khalifa
17. The elevator with the longest travel distance
Inside Burj Khalifa, there is an elevator with a whopping distance of 504m (1,654 ft). Almost one-and-a-half times the height of the Empire State Building in New York. There are 57 elevators that can reach the top level in around 60 seconds. Elevator speed at Burj Khalifa is 10 m/s making them one of the fastest elevators in the World. To reach the observation deck on the 124th floor you only need a minute.
18. Second highest restaurant
The restaurant is called At. Mosphere and is located on 122 floor, 442m (1,450 ft) above the ground. Restaurant can welcome 210 people. The title was taken from 360 restaurant at CN Tower on 350 m (1,148 ft). The title of the highest restaurant was in February 2022 awarded to the Heavenly Jin restaurant inside the J Hotel Shanghai Tower in Shanghai, China. Heavenly Jin is located on the 120th floor, 556.36 m (1,825 feet) above ground.
19. Most expensive billboard
A 30-second ad featuring an XDubai jetpacking stuntman cost US$15,000 (aed 55,000) back in 2012.
20. Largest light and sound show on a single building
The Light Up 2018 New Year’s Eve light show saw 109,252 square metres of the Burj Khalifa’s façade light up simultaneously in a record-break laser show. Spectacular.
21. Burj Dubai
Burj Khalifa was originally named Burj Dubai. It was renamed to Burj Khalifa in 2010 as a tribute to Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan, head of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi.
22. The Burj needs 946.352 litres (250,000 gallons) of water each day. Let’s not forget that the skyscraper stands in the middle of the desert and the average rainfall in Dubai is 68 mm (2.7 inch) annually. The water is collected sustainably and used for irrigation of the landscaping plants, Dubai fountain and cooling system.
23. The construction of Burj Khalifa took 6 years
Excavation began in 6. January 2004. Burj Khalifa was officially opened six years later, on 4 January 2010.
24. 6 hours 13 minutes 55 seconds
That is the fastest time to climb Burj Khalifa. The record holds Alain Robert, dubbed the “French Spider-Man”, who climbed the Burj on March 29, 2011 – solo and unassisted.
Save those for later! You can never have too many Fun Facts saved and ready to go!
Did you know this about Burj Khalifa
25. There are more than 28,260 anti-glare glass panels on the tower to protect the inside from the intense sun. The total 103,000 square meters of glass used in the panels can cover 14 standard football pitches. The glass exterior minimizes heat transmission and saves energy.
26. The tower shape was inspired by the Hymenocallis flower, also known as the spider lily, a white regional desert flower which has long petals stretched out of the center.
27. It was built with more than 100.000 MT (metric tons) of concrete and 55.000 tons of steel rebar. It totaled to 1,5 billion dollars and 22 million man-hours in the 6 years.
28. The designers of the building are Skidmore Owings and Miller architects and it is owned by Emaar group.
29. On peak days of Burj Khalifa construction, more than 12,000 workers worked on the building.
30. The top of the majestic Burj Khalifa can be seen from 96,5 km (60 miles) away.
31. There are 3000 steps from the bottom to the top of the building.
Pinning is winning & Sharing is caring!
All of the above in a nutshell
Glitz and glamour of the tallest super scraper can be seen from more than 95 km away. It is a multi-use building where you can find a variety of commercial, hospitality and residential venues. Here you can find a hotel, posh residences and a night club designed by Gorgio Armani. You can find restaurants, bars, observation deck and health facilites. With all the tallest, the highest, the longest records Burj Khalifa is holding, there is no surprise it also appeared in the Simpson episode. During the time some records were also just recently taken away and beaten by other skyscrapers.
Of course, there are already projects in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait that are hoping to take the tallest crownfrom Burj Khalifa (or Burj Dubai, as it was named originally). Let’s what the future will bring but until then Burj Khalifa will be the king.
Have you visited Burj Khalifa yet?
Which fact surprised you the most?
Do you know any other interesting fact?
I would love to know any other interesting fact about this majestic building!
Pinning is winning and sharing is caring! What are you choosing?
Disclosure (being transparent and honest should fe fun): You know the way I run this blog. I only recommend products, experiences, hotels etc. that I personally tried and I actually own and use. On my site, you will see pretty colorful links what are known as ”affiliate links”. If you click on this link and buy something you like, I’ll earn some money. I’m talking a huge bucks here, like new Tesla, yacht and 7-bedroom mansion. Ok, honestly, most of the time it will be enough to help me buy treats for my dog and parrot, eco friendly travel products or to help me build a time machine, and travel back in time to see the dinosaurs, do an interview of stonecrafters on Easter island and have a serious chat with masterminds who ‘invented’ Maths.
More posts about Dubai?
ALSO READ:
LUXURY POOL AND BEACH DAY | DAYCATION AT ONE&ONLY ROYAL MIRAGE
REASONS TO STAY AT ROVE DOWNTOWN HOTEL IN DUBAI
121 BEST DUBAI CAPTIONS, QUOTES, PUNS AND JOKES FOR INSTAGRAM
Skipped to the good part? Here is the gist
Burj Khalifa is the tallest skyscraper and can be seen from more than 95 km away. It is a multi-use building where you can find a variety of commercial, hospitality and residential venues. With more than 828 m (2,717 ft), holds many Guinness World records in many categories, the tallest, the highest, the longest records. Previously named Burj Dubai, featured in many movies and also appeared in the Simpson episode. During the time some records were also just recently taken away and beaten by other skyscrapers.
I hope this article did give you a lot of information about interesting facts and figures about Burj Khalifa.
If you found this blog helpful, follow me on Instagram and Pinterest. Or you can subscribe to my YouTube channel. Here you will find a lot of travel tips, itineraries, and packing hacks completely for free. If you want to see more of it and would like to encourage me to post even more, you can say thanks and buy me a coffee.
Which fact surprised you the most?
Let me know in the comments.
Wow, those are some impressive statistics. I get vertigo just thinking about those dizzying heights!