A home in the clouds: Why Dubai dominates the sky

The dominance of the UAE in housing the tallest residential towers in the world is currently unchallenged as the seven tallest residential towers in the world are located in country, with the top four in Dubai Marina district.

Emporis, an organisation collating information about building and construction projects, states that desire for recognition and prestige and demonstration of economic growth are the most significant factors leading to the boom in construction, particularly of such gigantic apartment palaces.

A 15 to 20 minute walk is all that is needed to see the four tallest residential buildings in the world in Dubai Marina.

Earlier this month, EC Harris, a top global built asset consultancy, referred to Dubai Marina, home to 14 out of the 20 current tallest buildings in the emirate, as the “tallest block in the world”.

Princess Tower is the world's tallest residential tower. The 441-meter-tall skyscraper has a “dream” location right on the beach with a view of the iconic Palm Jumeirah.

The 395-meter-tall 23 Marina hold the second spot, while 380-metre Elite Residence takes the third slot.

The Torch, 345-meter-high, comes in at fourth place.

Only two buildings make it into the Top 10 outside the UAE – Q1 Tower, on the east coast of Australia, and Capital City Moscow Tower in Moscow, Russia.

In Dubai alone, there are 19 buildings taller than 200 metres and 18 of them are on Sheikh Zayed Road.

Burj Khalifa, 828-metres high (160 storey), is the tallest tower in the world.

In its 2012 review on tall buildings, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat said: “Dubai continues to be a significant market for tall building construction, despite the much-publicised drop in development after 2008.”

The average height of the four of the tallest buildings completed in 2012 in Dubai were 385 metres, while the four buildings completed in Guangzhou province in China averaged 310 metres and five buildings completed in Makkah, Saudi Arabia averaged 319 metres.

Emporis states that prerequisites for building mega residential towers are particularly ideal in the Gulf region since there are sufficient providers of capital for major projects of this kind and urban planning is not tied to preserving a distinctive existing skyline, which means gigantic development projects can be given the green light.

Dubai dominance, however, in the category is being challenged.

Catching up

The World in Mumbai, India, a 442-meter-high, will take over top spot if it is completed in 2015.

Besides, Diamond Tower, in Jeddah, Saudi-Arabia, at a projected 432 meters, and 432 Park Avenue in New York City, at 426 meters in height, are also set to overtake the frontrunner from Dubai on their completion.

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