You don’t just spot the Burj Khalifa. From a distance, it’s a thin spine of glass and steel cutting the sky. Up close, it looks like a city of its own. All terraces and reflections and people lifting their necks. The construction of the tower started in the mid-2000s when Dubai was racing ahead with one big project after another at that time. By the time it opened in 2010, it was already famous.

It made a reputation as “the world’s tallest building.” The building is 828 metres high (2,717 ft). This is the number you’ll hear from guides, but the real thing is how it makes everything around it look small.

Step inside, and it feels less like one building and more like stacked layers of different lives. Luxury hotels, apartments, office floors, and restaurants are high enough that the ground feels far away. Then there are the viewing decks. They’re crowded, noisy, full of people leaning on the glass just to capture a perfect photo.

But the numbers and the records don’t really stick in your mind. What people remember is the feeling when you hear the fountains and tilt your head back until your neck aches. When you watch the sunset, turn the glass from silver to gold. That’s the moment people remember.

From Idea to Icon

The story of this structure started in the early 2000s. It was when Dubai was racing to become a global city of tourism, finance and real estate. Groundworks began in 2004. The tower rose at an astonishing pace. The structure was completed in 2009. The official opening ceremony took place on 4 January 2010. The project was renamed Burj Khalifa from Burj Dubai at the inauguration.

It was to honour Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed. He was the president of the UAE and also the ruler of Abu Dhabi at that time. Dubai received financial assistance from Abu Dhabi during Dubai’s financial stresses. The project was led by developer Emaar Properties. It was built by a consortium including Samsung C&T, BESIX and Arabtec. The entire development sits at the heart of Downtown Dubai. It covers a 2-square-kilometre district of malls, hotels and civic spaces.

The Tower That Broke the Record Book

You can’t really talk about this building without throwing around some record-breaking figures. They’re the kind of numbers that leave people in awe.

Height That Seems Unreal

The building is so tall that you cannot even view it at a glance when you’re standing at its base. Craning your neck up is necessary if you want to watch its top. The tip becomes closer to 829.8 metres at the spire. The Eiffel Tower is just 324 metres high in comparison.

A Forest of Floors

The tower has 163 floors you can actually use, plus a few service levels sandwiched in between. Some guides say 160, others insist on 163.

A Price Tag That Turned Heads

The construction cost came in at roughly US$1.5 billion. It sounds enormous, but in the world of mega-projects, it’s not outrageous. Given the engineering challenges, many expected the number to be far higher.

Records Upon Records

Tallest building? Check. Tallest freestanding structure? Also check. The highest lived-in floor, the fastest lifts, and even records for how high they pumped concrete during construction. The Burj seemed determined to grab every title it could.

Architectural Marvel

Adrian Smith, working at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) when the tower was designed, created the Burj’s form by drawing inspiration from Islamic architecture and a desert flower. The Hymenocallis, or spider lily, to be more specific. He produced a Y-shaped floor plan that steps back as the building rises. The staggered buttressed core geometry serves two purposes.

It gives usable floor plates for residences and hotels. It crucially disrupts wind vortices so the slender tower can tolerate the immense lateral forces at altitude. Concrete and steel are laid in an innovative sequence. It allows the tower to remain stable. It also minimizes space loss. The building is both aesthetic and functional.

Stepping Inside the Burj Khalifa

The tower is a mixed-use building. Different vertical zones host different functions.

Podium and lower floors

Armani Hotel Dubai occupies multiple lower levels with specially designed interiors by Giorgio Armani.

Residential floors

There are several hundred luxury apartments here, including Armani Residences and others. These fill the middle bands.

Corporate suites and offices

Higher up, floor plates become smaller and are used for offices and premium suites.

Mechanical floors

Scattered through the structure, these keep the building systems running, such as plumbing, pressurization, fire suppression and elevators.

Restaurants and lounges

At.mosphere is one of the world’s highest fine-dining restaurants. It sits on the 122nd floor. It is a destination in its own right. While the tower is famous for At.mosphere, there are several other dining experiences spread across its floors.

Armani Hotel Dubai (Levels 1–8, 38 & 39):

The lower floors of the Burj house the Armani Hotel, which comes with multiple high-end restaurants:

Armani/Amal

It serves contemporary Indian dining.

Armani/Hashi

This place serves Japanese food with a modern twist.

Armani/Ristorante

Here, Italian fine dining is served.

Armani/Mediterraneo

It serves an all-day international buffet with Mediterranean influences.

Armani/Deli

This restaurant serves gourmet casual dining, good for lighter bites.

Cost of Dining Inside the World’s Tallest Tower

Eating here is about more than the food. It’s the setting and the view. And the prices surely reflect it.

• Casual Dining at Armani/Deli or Armani/Mediterraneo usually costs AED 200–300 per person.
• In fine Dining at Armani/Ristorante, Amal, Hashi, expect to pay AED 400–600+ per person for a full dinner with drinks.
• At.mosphere Restaurant at level 122 is the signature dining spot. Meals here range from AED 600–900 per person. The view here is the real highlight. Tea alone costs AED 350–500 per person. Cocktails average AED 100–150. But this may be a more relaxed way to enjoy the atmosphere without the full fine-dining bill.

Corporate Lounges & Private Dining

Higher up, some corporate levels and private lounges offer exclusive dining, but these are generally for residents, hotel guests, or private events.

Observation decks

The tower offers public vantage points. The popular “At The Top” on Levels 124 and 125 and the premium “At The Top SKY” on Level 148. These decks give sweeping panoramas across Dubai, the desert and the coastline far below.

Tickets for the Observation Decks

• At The Top at Levels 124 & 125 offers the classic visitor experience. Prices start from AED 150–300 per person. The sunset slots are at the higher end. Special promotions sometimes bring prices below AED 100.
• At The Top SKY at level 148 has the premium ticket. It includes access to a private lounge and priority elevators. You will have to pay AED 350–500, depending on the season and demand.

Getting Here Made Simple

Reaching here is pretty simple. For the cheapest and most reliable option, take the Dubai Metro’s Red Line. It will drop you at the Dubai Mall Station. From there, you’ll just need to walk through an air-conditioned bridge that connects straight into the Dubai Mall. It’s a bit of a stretch, around 10 to 20 minutes on foot. But it’s comfortable and saves you from sitting in traffic.

From the Airport, a taxi takes about 15 to 30 minutes to reach here. It usually costs AED 35–60.

There’s plenty of parking available at Dubai Mall if you want to ride yourself or book a car. Ride-hailing apps like Uber or Careem work smoothly here alongside the city’s official taxis. The only thing you’ll want to watch out for is rush hour. This is when traffic around Downtown Dubai can really slow things down.

Money Matters

Visiting here doesn’t have to break the bank. However, it is better to know what you’re in for. Entry tickets vary. Where costs can really climb is in dining. A full meal at At.mosphere can run into several hundred dirhams per person. But you’ll save a lot if you stick to the basics.

With the metro ride, standard tickets, and maybe a coffee or snack, you’ll spend roughly AED 200–400 per person. But if you add in fine dining or the SKY upgrade, a couple’s outing can easily land in the AED 800–1500 range, depending on the choices you make.

More than a Trophy

The Burj Khalifa is often talked about as Dubai’s physical manifesto. It is a combination of branding, ambition and urban planning. Architecturally and economically, it has anchored Downtown Dubai as a global tourist spot. The tower’s presence enabled hotels, malls and events that feed the city’s visitor economy.

The Tower That Redefines Dubai

From the base of Burj Khalifa, you feel the deliberate choreography. From the observation decks, the human scale falls away, and you understand why the tower has become such a potent symbol. It’s not just vertical mass. It is, in fact, an engineered view of modern ambition. Whether you’re geeking out over architecture, chasing that perfect skyline photo, or splurging on a meal in the clouds, this building has a way of making the experience unforgettable.