Burj Dubai

The Burj Dubai means "Dubai Tower" in Arabic. The current projected date of completion is September 2009. The tower itself has surpassed many world records and hopes to achieve greatness both in itself, for Dubai, for the U.A.E, and ultimately for the entire Middle-East. The Burj Dubai is being developed by Emaar Properties of U.A.E, and the contractors are Samsung, Besix, Arabtec, Turner, and Emaar.

Tallest Free Standing Structure in the World
The Burj Dubai is now the tallest free standing structure in the world. It has surpassed the KVLY-TV mast which was the previously tallest structure. Since the structure is not complete, and exact figures have not been publicly released, speculation on the number of floors it will have is really unknown. Based on data gathered, we estimate that the project will be between 170 and 180 floors.



Costs
According to wikipedia, the project is budgeted at 4.1 billion dollars US. This is placed in Downtown Dubai which has a projected budget of 20 billion US to make it as competitive as possible with other world financial centers.

Inspiration
A tower's success is limited or magnified by its design. It is important that the tower is deeply rooted in the local society’s culture. That is why Adrian Smith, the architect, incorporated many patterns that are traditional in Islamic architecture into the Burj Dubai. The largest source of inspiration for the Burj Dubai was actually a flower. Adrian Smith drew inspiration from the Hymenocallis flower, which is a highly popular flower in Dubai, India, and the region. The flower's design can be seen in many of the structural elements of the design.

Purpose
The underlying purpose of the Burj Dubai is to put Dubai on the map as a spectacular city. The Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum wants to move the economy from a heavily trade based economy to that of services. Building a tower with such splendor, grander, and prestige will certainly catch the eyes of foreign investors. It also turns Dubai into a place where people want to do business.



The building will be utilized for Office, Hotel, and Residential uses. It will be in the same loop as the Dubai mall, projected to be the worlds largest mall. The Burj will contain 30,000 homes, 9 hotels, and office space.

Sales

If you are interested in calling the Burj Dubai home, then you better have your checkbook out. According to Mohamad Ali Alabbar, the CEO of Emaar Properties, the current rate for space on the Burj is $3,500 per sf. If you are interested in office space, the current going rate is $4,000 per sf

Dubai Shopping Festival

Dubai is currently the hot place to shop. The Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) that is also known as 'Layali Dubai' in Arabic was started in 1996. The main goal of Dubai shopping festival is to promote trade and tourism in Dubai. The festival annually draws about three million people to Dubai for shopping. In order to make the city as the tourist capital of the Middle East, they've made shopping largely tax free that allows merchants to import products from other countries with very few tariffs.

Dubai Shopping Festival is basically a shopping paradise. Dubai offers a blend of the modern and the traditional, mixing the best of the East with the best of the West. In Dubai shopping festival you can find anything from gold chains to Ipods at rock bottom prices. The Dubai shopping festival has succeeded in establishing itself as the leading special "shopping" event in the world. Various brands such as Visa, Pepsi and Emirates Airlines became partners to DSF's growth.
During DSF several hotels and apartments also offer you special offers. Sponsored by Dubai Duty Free, the Dubai shopping festival is enlivened with international theatre and street performances, fashion shows, nightly fireworks, prize draws, children's events and laser shows. Dubai Shopping Festival offers the best brands at the world’s lowest prices.
Along with all of the shopping outlets, the Dubai Shopping Festival also offers a variety of entertainment events. Kazim Al Sahir, Nawal Al Zugby, Amr Diab, Milhim Barakat, Asala, Fadl Shaker, Najwa Karam, and Diana Haddad are some of the most famous Arabic entertainers who perform during the Dubai shopping festival. During the Dubai shopping festival, visas are easily obtainable at the Dubai International Airport.

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