Four years on from the opening of the Burj Khalifa, it is difficult to imagine Dubai – or even the UAE – without its presence. In a city replete with landmarks of international significance, the Burj has established itself literally and figuratively above the rest. So it was no surprise that its opening on January 4, 2010, served to commemorate the anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and it was the obvious choice when Dubai had to choose a site for the fireworks to celebrate winning the right to host Expo 2020.
Ten years earlier, the opening of the Burj Al Arab was as much a statement to the world about the aspirations of Dubai as it was the launch of a luxury hotel. Similarly, the opening of the Burj Khalifa was also a clear statement, albeit on an appropriately grander scale, to represent the evolution of the emirate over the previous decade.
Within that, this has always been about the UAE as much as Dubai. Its 2010 inauguration honoured the UAE president. Four years on, Sheikh Mohammed used his accession day address to urge everyone to thank Sheikh Khalifa, President of the UAE, for his service to the nation, immediately leading to #ThankYouKhalifa trending on Twitter.
