Top 10 skyscrapers located in the UAE

[edit] Introduction

Almost 190 skyscrapers were built in Dubai alone in the last 15 years, according to an article written by Neha Bhatia for Arabian Business, compared to London’s 23 completed over the same time period.

Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi boast skylines featuring innovative, interesting and sometimes odd skyscrapers, racking up some world records along the way. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) sits at number four on the list of countries with the most completed or topped-out skyscrapers, coming after Hong Kong, the United States and Japan.

Dubai has more high-rises than Abu Dhabi, with 18 completed and topped-out buildings which reach a height of 300 metres, which, unsurprisingly, is more than any other city in the world.

In this article we look at Dubai’s top ten skyscrapers.

[edit] Burj Khalifa in Dubai

Standing at 829.8 meters tall after being topped out on the 16 January 2009, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building in the world. It has 163 floors that are home to the Armani Hotels Dubai, the Armani Residences, 1.85 million square feet of residential space and 300,000 square feet of office space, as well as featuring lounges, health and wellness facilities, four incredible pools and two observation decks looking out over the city of Dubai.

It was designed by Adrian Smith who then worked for Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) and includes a plumbing system that supplies, on average, 946,000 litres of water per day through the 100 km of pipes, an air conditioning system that draws air from the upper floors where it is cleaner and cooler than that on the ground, and a horizontal track and cleaning machines that were installed at three different levels to wash the 24,348 windows (120,000 square metres of glass).

[edit] Princess Tower in Dubai

Princess Tower in Dubai has 107 storeys which are all solely residential. 100 of those storeys are above ground with the others being in the basement. It comprises 763 units, 957 parking bays which are spread over six floors, and eight retail outlets. This impressive building was delivered by its developer, Tameer Holdings in September 2012. It is the second tallest building in Dubai.

[edit] 23 Marina in Dubai

Coming in third to the Burj Khalifa and Princess Tower in Dubai, 23 Marina has 88 storeys and is a residential skyscraper. This incredible tower is home to 57 swimming pools and each duplex has its own private elevator. Confidence in the structure's quality was so high that even before construction had started 79% of it was already sold.

[edit] Elite Residence in Dubai

Located in Dubai’s Marina District, the Elite Residence overlooks one of the man-made Palm Islands and stands at 380.5 m tall. Its 91-floors comprise 695 apartments spread over 76 floors and the other 15 are home to leisure amenities such as swimming pools, spas, reception areas, health clubs, a business centre and a gym.

[edit] Burj Mohammed bin Rashid in Abu Dhabi

Located in the heart of Abu Dhabi at the site of the old Central Market – which is considered to be a traditional crossroads and meeting point in the city – the Central Market Project is a complex consisting of three skyscrapers, of which the tallest is the Burj Mohammed bin Rashid.

Two of the skyscrapers are malls and two Marriott hotels. They are part of a 700,000 sq. m mixed-use development. The Burj Mohammed bin Rashid was considered the tallest building in Abu Dhabi when it was completed in 2014, standing at 381 m and 92 floors tall. There is also a traditional souk and up to seven levels of retail in the podium, a green roof above the market place and a bridge that links these areas together.

[edit] Almas Tower in Dubai

Located on its own artificial island in the Jumeirah Lakes Towers (the tallest of all buildings on the development) it comprises 68 storeys standing 360 m high. It was designed by Atkins Middle East and constructed by the Taisei Corporation of Japan and the Arabian Construction Co. in a joint venture after being awarded the contract by Nakheel Properties. It is home to commercial offices and provides a range of services that cater for the region’s diamond, coloured gemstones and pearls industry, including diamond cutting and exchange.

[edit] JW Marriott Marquis Dubai Tower 1 & 2 in Dubai

Known for being the world’s tallest hotel with 76 floors standing 355 m high, the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai Hotel is the world’s tallest hotel and includes 14 food outlets, rooftop bars, a business centre, conference halls and meeting rooms, a banquet hall, a spa and health club, swimming pool, gym and retail outlets.

[edit] Emirates Towers in Dubai

Situated in the financial centre of Dubai, the Emirates Towers consist of two individual towers. Tower 1 contains the Emirates Office Tower which has big meeting spaces as well as a conference centre and first-class restaurants located under its sloping roof. Tower 2 consists of the luxurious five-star Hotel Tower Jumeirah Emirate which includes 400 rooms. The two towers are connected at the bottom by a three-storey shopping centre called The Boulevard which houses shops, restaurants and cafes.

[edit] The Marina Torch in Dubai

The Marina Torch is a residential skyscraper located at the Dubai Marina consisting of 676 apartments and six retail units. It was designed by National Engineering Bureau and has 79 floors with three basement levels and a four-storey podium, and stands 336.8 m tall.

It was unfortunately damaged by a fire in February 2015 which left 81 units that were uninhabitable. In August 2017, fire engulfed the building again as a blaze broke out on the ninth floor and quickly spread to the upper floors. Residents were safely evacuated with no casualties reported.

[edit] Rose Tower in Dubai

Coming in tenth is Rose Tower. This 72-storey hotel stands at 333 m high and is located on Sheikh Zayed Road. It had the title of the world’s tallest hotel from 2009 to 2012, but is now the second tallest hotel in the world to the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai Tower One. Rose Rayhaan Rotana was one of the first major hotel brands to open an alcohol-free hotel in Dubai which includes two restaurants and 24-hour coffee shops. The hotel includes 482 rooms, suites and penthouses and opened its doors in 2009.

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