Facts and Figures
Dive into the extraordinary details of the Burj Khalifa, from its staggering height to its groundbreaking engineering. This guide covers essential facts, notable world records, and practical information for visitors. Whether planning a visit or just curious about this architectural marvel, discover everything you need to know about the world's tallest building.
Things to know
The Burj Khalifa in Dubai has 163 stories above ground.
The Burj Khalifa was built by South Korea's Samsung Corporation, along with the Belgian company Besix and UAE-based company Arabtec.
The Burj Khalifa is owned by Emaar Properties PJSC, a premier real estate development company in the United Arab Emirates.
The Burj Khalifa is prominently located in Downtown Dubai, at 1 Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, near the main business district on Sheikh Zayed Road.
The weight of the Burj Khalifa's empty structure is approximately 500,000 tonnes.
The cost to construct the Burj Khalifa is estimated to be about $1.5 billion USD.
Depending on the route taken, Burj Khalifa is approximately 15 kilometers (approximately 9.3 miles) from the Dubai International Airport.
The Burj Khalifa is a multi-use structure that includes residential space, a Armani Hotel Dubai, corporate suites, observation decks, restaurants, and health and wellness facilities.
Dubai's Burj Khalifa receives about 17 million visits each year. That's equivalent to 1.42 million monthly visitors or approximately 47000 visitors daily. This daily visitor count is akin to a bustling small town ascending the towering structure daily to experience its marvels.
Interesting Facts
- The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world, standing at an impressive height of 828 meters (2,716.5 feet), and includes over 200 floors, 160 of which are habitable.
- Designed by the Chicago-based architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), the building features a Y-shaped floor plan inspired by the hymenocallis flower, optimizing views of the Arabian Gulf and providing structural stability.
- The building's construction set a new standard for vertical limits, achieving the world record for vertical concrete pumping at a height of 605 meters, surpassing the former record held by Taipei 101.
- Burj Khalifa's observatory decks on Levels 148, 125, and 124 offer unparalleled views of Dubai and beyond, making them a prime attraction for visitors and tourists.
- The tower houses the world's highest fine dining restaurant,At.mosphere, located on Level 122, which is nearly two levels below the highest observation deck.
- A symbol of international collaboration, the project involved over 60 consultants and saw daily work contributions from 12,000 professionals and skilled workers from more than 100 countries at the peak of its construction.
- The Burj Khalifa's exterior is adorned with 103,000 square meters of glass and 15,500 square meters of embossed stainless steel, contributing to its distinctive shimmering facade designed to withstand Dubai's extreme temperatures.
- Sustainability is a key feature of the tower, with its innovative condensation collection system providing about 15 million gallons of supplemental water per year, equivalent to filling 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
- Burj Khalifa is not just a marvel of engineering but also a canvas for cultural expression, housing over 1,000 pieces of art by prominent international and Middle Eastern artists.
- The construction utilized a massive 330,000 cubic meters of concrete and 39,000 tonnes of steel reinforcement, materials that could lay a sidewalk extending 1,900 kilometers or encircle a quarter of the globe if stretched end-to-end.
- It holds multiple world records, including the tallest freestanding structure, surpassing the CN Tower's 31-year record, and the highest occupied floor in the world.
- The building's smart design includes 57 elevators, capable of speeds up to 10 meters per second, making them some of the fastest in the world, and enhancing the functionality of this vertical city.
World records
Tallest building in the world
To top of spire – 828 meters (2,716.5 feet), surpasses Taipei 101.
Tallest man-made structure in the world
Exceeds the KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota, USA, which stands at 628.8 meters.
Tallest free-standing structure in the world
Broke the 31-year-old record of the CN Tower in Toronto, which is 553.33 meters.
Highest occupied floor in the world
Floor 163 is located at 605 m. Previous record – World Trade Center (110 floors)
Highest number of floors in the world
163 floors, followed by Shanghai Tower with 128 floors.
World's longest travel distance elevators
The elevators travel 504 m at a speed of 10 meters per second.