Burj Khalifa

The Burj Khalifa is a supertall skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At a height of 828 meters (2,717 feet), it is the tallest structure in the world as of the early 2020s. Designed by Adrian Smith and developed through international engineering and construction teams, it became a prominent feature of the city’s skyline and tourism industry.

Overview

The Burj Khalifa is located in Downtown Dubai, near landmarks such as Dubai Mall and The Dubai Fountain. The building combines observation areas, residential spaces, office floors, and hotel services, reflecting a mixed-use approach common to major urban redevelopment districts. Its scale and massing were shaped by wind considerations relevant to the Persian Gulf region and by the constraints of constructing a high-rise tower in a desert environment.

The project is widely associated with the United Arab Emirates policy environment for large-scale infrastructure and real-estate development. Within Dubai, the tower has been a catalyst for further high-rise construction and for expanding visitor flows to master-planned areas.

Design and construction

Burj Khalifa was designed by Adrian Smith, who was part of the architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and it adopted setbacks and a tapering silhouette intended to reduce wind loads. The final form is often described as a stepped, buttressed tower that narrows with height, a geometry that helps manage aerodynamic forces.

Construction began in 2004 and the building was topped out in 2009. The structural system combined reinforced concrete and high-strength materials, while exterior cladding supported the tower’s overall envelope. Major construction and engineering work was carried out by international contractors, reflecting the participation of firms such as Samsung C&T and coordination among multiple specialized subcontractors.

Occupancy and features

The tower’s mixed-use program includes residential units, offices, and a hotel. Tourism-related facilities include observation decks that provide panoramic views across Dubai, with sightlines reaching inland areas and the coast depending on atmospheric conditions. The building’s vertical arrangement supports distinct circulation systems for different user groups, which is typical of high-rise design.

Burj Khalifa also includes amenities that support year-round use in a hot climate, including mechanical systems designed for cooling and humidity control. Its location near major hospitality and retail destinations has strengthened ties to the city’s broader tourism sector, including developments around Downtown Dubai. The tower’s public-facing spaces are typically managed to handle seasonal variation in demand.

Engineering and wind-load considerations

For supertall structures, wind is a primary driver of lateral loading and comfort criteria. Burj Khalifa’s design incorporates structural detailing and aerodynamic shaping intended to reduce oscillations and stress concentrations at key elevations. Wind-tunnel testing and structural analysis informed the selection of the tower’s taper and setbacks, which affect how wind pressures distribute along the height.

The tower’s performance is also influenced by construction practices and material behavior over time, including settlement and creep in concrete structures. Engineers and researchers have studied tall-building responses to wind and thermal effects in relation to buildings in arid regions, including the broader climate context of the Gulf States. These factors are particularly important for long-span operation, where maintenance planning and system reliability become part of the building’s lifecycle.

Cultural and economic impact

Since its completion, Burj Khalifa has become both a visual symbol of Dubai and a major attraction for international visitors. The tower’s prominence is frequently discussed alongside other emblematic developments in the emirate, including Emaar Properties and the growth of Downtown Dubai as a commercial and residential hub.

The building’s status as the world’s tallest structure has contributed to branding and investment perceptions, while also influencing tourism marketing for the city. As with other iconic skyscrapers, it has been featured in media and used as a reference point in discussions of global urban development and supertall engineering trends, including the broader history of record-setting towers such as List of tallest buildings in the world.

See also

• List of tallest buildings in the world
• List of tallest structures in the world
• Downtown Dubai
• Burj Al Arab
• World’s tallest building

Categories: Burj Khalifa, Skyscrapers in Dubai, Buildings and structures completed in 2010, Tallest buildings in the world, Adrian Smith, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill