The Burj Khalifa Opens as the World’s Tallest Building

On 4 January 2010, the city of Dubai inaugurated the world's tallest building with a lavish ceremony witnessed by thousands of onlookers. Known throughout its planning and construction, which began in 2004, as the Burj Dubai, the tower was unexpectedly rechristened Burj Khalifa at the opening. The change honoured Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the United Arab Emirates, whose emirate had provided Dubai with about 25 billion dollars in support during the financial crisis, including a 10 billion dollar bailout the previous month.

The initiative to construct such an immense tower stemmed from the emirate's strategy to move its economy away from oil and toward global real estate, services, and tourism. Conceived by developer Emaar Properties as the focal point of the extensive Downtown Dubai mixed-use district, the skyscraper rose on a site surrounded by thousands of planned homes, multiple hotels, an artificial lake, and the Dubai Mall. The structure ultimately reached a height of 828 metres, far surpassing the previous record holder, Taipei 101, which rises 508 metres.