Why was the tallest building in the world, originally called the Burj Dubai, renamed on Monday night?”
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—Over the last six years, residents of Dubai have seen it grow out of a 141-foot hole in the ground, to stretch 2,717 feet (828 meters) into the Gulf sky. But now the shimmering spire that is the Burj Khalifa can finally enter the record book as the world’s tallest building, after a spectacular opening ceremony on Monday night. The unveiling of the $1.5 billion project came after two months of bad press for Dubai, which has seen the emirate accused of being unable to repay its debt. “Crises come and go, and cities move on,” Mohamed Alabbar, chairman of Emaar Properties, the state-owned developer of the building, told reporters Monday. “You have to move on. Because if you stop taking decisions, you stop growing.” The building, which was originally called the Burj Dubai, was renamed on Monday night in honor of the Abu Dhabi ruler, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is also the country’s president. However, the speculation over the reasons behind the renami
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—Over the last six years, residents of Dubai have seen it grow out of a 141-foot hole in the ground, to stretch 2,717 feet (828 meters) into the Gulf sky. But now the shimmering spire that is the Burj Khalifa can finally enter the record book as the world’s tallest building, after a spectacular opening ceremony on Monday night. The unveiling of the $1.5 billion project came after two months of bad press for Dubai, which has seen the emirate accused of being unable to repay its debt. “Crises come and go, and cities move on,” Mohamed Alabbar, chairman of Emaar Properties, the state-owned developer of the building, told reporters Monday. “You have to move on. Because if you stop taking decisions, you stop growing.” The building, which was originally called the Burj Dubai, was renamed on Monday night in honor of the Abu Dhabi ruler, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is also the country’s president. However, the speculation over the reasons behind the renami
Over the last six years, residents of Dubai have seen it grow out of a 141-foot hole in the ground, to stretch 2,717 feet (828 meters) into the Gulf sky. But now the shimmering spire that is the Burj Khalifa can finally enter the record book as the world’s tallest building, after a spectacular opening ceremony on Monday night. The building, which was originally called the Burj Dubai, was renamed on Monday night in honor of the Abu Dhabi ruler, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is also the country’s president.
