At 110 levels, Burj Dubai is now the tallest structure in the Middle East and Europe

At 110 levels and 380 metres high, Burj Dubai shares the honour of having the largest number of floors in any building in the world, alongside Sears Tower in Chicago. At the current height, the tower is also the world's ninth tallest building.

Burj Dubai is now taller than Emirates Office Tower (355 metres), which was the tallest building in the region. Burj Dubai is only one metre shorter than the Empire State Building - the second tallest in the US.

Burj Dubai is on its course to become the world's tallest building. It is the centerpiece of the AED 73 billion (US$20 billion) Downtown Burj Dubai, a mixed-use project in the heart of Dubai featuring residences, commercial space, hospitality projects and several retail outlets including The Dubai Mall, the world's largest shopping and entertainment destination.

"Burj Dubai is not a mere vertical conquest or a race for fame; it is an icon for the collective aspiration of the people of Dubai, who have been led to dream of the impossible and attain it," said Mr Mohamed Ali Alabbar, Chairman, Emaar Properties. "Burj Dubai is an accomplishment of team work that involves some of the most brilliant minds in architecture, engineering and construction."

Burj Dubai accomplished the milestone of being the tallest structure in the Middle East and Europe in only three years, since excavation work started in January 2004. To date, 267,426 cubic metres of reinforced concrete and 49,684 tonnes of reinforcing steel have been used in the construction of Burj Dubai.

Over 3,000 workers are currently employed at the Burj Dubai site. Ten cranes and the world's fastest high-capacity construction hoists - with a speed of up to 2 m/sec (120 m/min) - are used to move men and material.

Designed by Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), Burj Dubai is constructed by high-rise experts South Korea's Samsung Corporation. Turner Construction International is the project and construction manager.

Burj Dubai will be a stellar achievement in engineering; the curtain wall of Burj Dubai will be equivalent to 17 football fields; the concrete used will be equivalent to a sidewalk 1,900 km long and the tower's peak electricity demand will be roughly the same as 360,000 light bulbs of 100 watts operating at the same time.

When completed, Burj Dubai will be the tallest building in the world in all four categories recognised by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), which compiles and ranks the world's tallest buildings. CTBUH ranks buildings on the basis of spire height, the highest occupied floor, roof height and pinnacle height.

Burj Dubai will also mark the advent of a new lifestyle choice for Dubai residents and visitors. It will comprise 1,000 residences, commercial spaces, leisure facilities and The Armani Hotel, Dubai, developed by Emaar in association with haute couture major Giorgio Armani S.p.A.