Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Monday launched construction work on Emaar’s The Tower at Dubai Creek Harbour which, once completed, will be 100 metres taller than Burj Khalifa.
Sheikh Mohammed, also the UAE’s Vice President and Prime Minister, took part in a ground-breaking ceremony for the supertall structure being built by Emaar Properties and Dubai Holding by laying the foundation stone, according to a tweet by Dubai Media Office.
The Tower at Dubai Creek Harbour, designed by Spanish-Swiss architect Santiago Calatrava, will be built in the heart of the 6 sq km master-planned community set by the Dubai Creek and will become the city’s tallest at 928 metres.
Mohammad Al Gergawi, chairman of Dubai Holding, said: “The groundbreaking of The Tower is another historic moment for the UAE, as we mark the construction of another icon that will add to the UAE’s civic pride.
“At the heart of Dubai Creek Harbour, the super-tall structure will create lasting value and serve as one of the must-visit tourist destinations in the city.
“Dubai Creek Harbour is our investment in our future, and as a centrepoint of this mega-development, The Tower will enhance the reputation of our city and help boost the growth of the economy.”
Mohamed Alabbar, chairman of Emaar Properties, added: “We are pushing our boundaries in every aspect of this new master-planned development, one of the largest in the world, which underlines the spirit of positivity and hope that our nation celebrates.
It will be a sterling addition to the smart city that HH Sheikh Mohammed envisages, with futuristic digital features that meet the aspirations of the next generation. We will continue to push the frontiers of engineering and construction to complete the project in time for Expo 2020 Dubai.”
The Tower will comprise of residential and leisure features including a 360 viewing deck ‘The Pinnacle Room’, and a VIP observation deck with landscaping meant to recreate the “splendour of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.”
It will also feature fully glazed rotating balconies that extend outward, rotating outside the skin of the tower, as well as a boutique hotel for visitors.
The Tower is centred off the Dubai Creek, not too far from the Ras Al Khor National Wildlife Sanctuary, protected under the UNESCO Ramsar Convention and home to over 67 species of water birds.
It is expected to be completed for the Dubai Expo trade fair in 2020, the same year that the Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, another contender for the title of the world’s tallest building, is due to be finished.
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