Dubai: Blazing fireworks and dazzling lights marked the opening of the worlds tallest tower, Burj Dubai, which the Gulf Emirates hopes will pep up its international image, shaken by debt woes.
Dubai opened the worlds tallest structure on Monday, and a statement said it was 2,717 ft high. Dubais ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum renamed the tower Burj Khalifa after the president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of the neighboring emirate of Abu Dhabi.
The $1.5 billion structure, an unprecedented engineering marvel, was built with a major contribution from India a vast labour force.
The tower pips all its nearest rivals in height, including the 101-storey high Taipei Tower in Taiwan. The Dubai Burjs record seeking builders are also boasting of the highest occupied floor of any building in the world and today the needle-shaped tower ranks taller than north Dakotas Television mast.
Dubai Fountain at the base of the tower can reach a height of 275 metres and is equipped with powerful nozzles capable of shooting water higher than a 50-storey building. AGENCIES
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