Emaar 'considering' tower higher than 1km-tall Kingdom Tower

Burj Khalifa is currently the world’s tallest tower (FILE)

Published Wednesday, May 01, 2013

By Staff

Dubai can accommodate a tower taller than Burj Khalifa, said Mohammed Alabbar, Chairman of Emaar Properties.

Dubai is already home to the world’s tallest tower Burj Khalifa, which attracts millions of visitor every year.

Speaking at a conference in Dubai on Wednesday, Alabbar said he’s considering to build a tower which will be taller than Burj Khalifa and the Kingdom Tower which is under construction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

He said: "Technology has really improved the value of tall buildings which are really important commercially. We have learned how to make money out of tall buildings."

The Burj Khalifa, nestled in the world's largest mall, Dubai Mall, has become a major tourist attraction, and reaffirmed Dubai's name on the global tall towers map when it was unveiled in 2010.

Dubai is also home to the tallest residential skyscraper cluster in the world. Not only does Dubai boast of the tallest building in the world, the imposing Burj Khalifa, but also the tallest residential tower (Princess Tower), the tallest hotel in the world (JW Marriott Marquis Dubai), among many more.

According to Emporis, a global provider of building information, Dubai has 909 high-rise buildings , including 448 skyscrapers (comprising 40 floors or more).

According to SkyscraperPage.com, Dubai has 387 towers that are more than 99 metres in height, of which 84 are more than 202 metres tall and 26 are 301 metres or more in height.

Speaking at the Africa Global Business Forum 2013 being held in Dubai, Alabbar said Emaar will continue to launch new projects and properties on a regular basis.

Outlining Emaar’s vision, Alabbar said the property company intends to “keep launching projects every week,” and that the developer is doing all it can to control flipping of properties in the market. Flipping, or resale of off-plan properties at a higher rate to make quick gains, has been blamed for the property price crash of 2008-09.

Currently under construction, Kingdom Tower will overtake 830-metre tall Burj Khalifa to become the world’s tallest over the next five years.

MUST READ:

Emaar will launch new projects every week: Alabbar