Soaring 2722 feet (829.8 m) high and piercing the sky of Dubai like a rocket, the needle-shaped Burj Khalifa or Khalifa Tower is the tallest skyscraper in the world that even dwarfed the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Empire State Building in New York. Standing proudly next to the Dubai Mall as the ultimate symbol of glitz and glamour, the magnificent building was known as Burj Dubai or Dubai Tower during its construction. Basically, it was built on the government's decision to diversify from its oil-based economy and at the same time gain international recognition for Dubai. Construction of the monumental project began in January 2004, and the exterior of the structure was completed on 1 October 2009. However, before the full completion of the interior, the building was officially opened on 4 January 2010 when it was renamed after Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler of Abu Dhabi, who lent Dubai tens of billions of US dollars to pay its debts for the project, along with the federal government of the UAE.

Designed to be the centrepiece of a large-scale, mixed-use development, the building with 162 floors was constructed to house a variety of commercial, residential, and hospitality ventures. Derived from the Islamic architecture of the region, Burj Khalifa was designed by Adrian Smith, attached to Skidmore, Owings & Merrill of World Trade Center fame. However, it resembles a Spider Lily, as the central core emerges at the top and culminates in a sculpted spire.

While the tripartite floor geometry of Burj Khalifa is constructed in the shape of a capital Y, designed to optimize residential and hotel space, a central buttressed central core and wings serve to support the height of the building. The central core houses all vertical transportation, except the egress stairs within each of the wings that incorporate an area of rescue assistance within an enlarged floor-level landing.

Apart from being the tallest skyscraper in the world, the Burj Khalifa is also reckoned as the tallest freestanding structure in the world, equipped with the highest number of stories in the world, along with the highest occupied floor in the world. The towering building has numerous attractions and modern amenities throughout its different floors, which include a five-star hotel, designed by Giorgio Armani, a luxury spa, a well-equipped health club, even the world’s highest swimming pool on Level 76. Apart from that, Burj Khalifa houses the world’s tallest art gallery, featuring more than 85 acclaimed artists. Anybody can have breakfast or high tea in its lounges spread across floors 152, 153, and 154, or enjoy dinner in the world’s tallest restaurant located on the 122nd floor.

The Burj Khalifa has the tallest elevator service in the world, with the longest single-running elevator covering 140 floors. The speed of its elevator is around 33 feet (10 m) per second, making the elevators among the fastest in the world which takes only a minute to reach the observation deck on the 124th floor. While the tip of the sphere of the glass-paneled Burj Khalifa can be seen from up to 95 kilometers away, the towering structure draws visitors from all over the world to catch the unmatched 360-degree vista from its observation decks. The observation deck on the 124th floor, aptly named At the Top, was opened on 5 January 2010, and at 1483 feet (452 m), it was the highest outdoorobservation deck in the world when opened.