The title of the world's tallest hotel has passed on to Ciel Dubai Marina, the Dh2 billion skyscraper standing 377 metres tall. The property, which welcomed its first guests on Saturday, has surpassed the 356-metre Gevora Hotel, also in Dubai.
Gevora earned the title in 2018 when it took the record from yet another Dubai landmark, JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai, which stands at 355 metres.
Of the 10 tallest hotels in the world, eight are in Dubai, including Rose Rayhaan by Rotana (333 metres), Burj Al Arab (321 metres), Jumeirah Emirates Towers (309 metres), Address Beach Resort (301 metres) and Tower Plaza (294 metres).
Here are the top 10 tallest all-hotel towers in the world.
1. Ciel Dubai Marina, Dubai: 377 metres
Originally scheduled to open last year, Ciel Dubai Marina is spread across 82 floors and offers 1,004 rooms and suites. It also breaks an additional record with its opening, that of world's highest infinity pool. Tattu Sky Pool is located on level 76 and soars 310 metres above the city.
The pool is part of Tattu Dubai, the first international branch of Manchester-born modern Asian restaurant chain, which opened on October 10 and is located on level 74. The restaurant also operates Tattu Sky Lounge & Terrace on level 81, offering a rooftop experience and 360-degree views of the city.
Besides Tattu Dubai, dining options include West 13, which serves Mediterranean cuisine; East 14 for Asian food; and home-grown concept Risen Cafe & Artisanal Bakery, an all-day dining spot for cafe-style dishes.
A spa and 24-hour gym are located on level 61, while all guests will receive access and free transfers to Soluna Beach Club on Palm Jumeirah.
Ciel Dubai Marina is managed by The First Group Hospitality under the Vignette Collection brand, which is owned by IHG Hotels & Resorts.
Rates start at Dh2,328 per night for a deluxe room.
2. Gevora Hotel, Dubai: 356.3 metres
Opened in 2018, Gevora Hotel is a 75-storey tower capped by a golden spear. With 528 rooms, it in Dubai's Sheikh Zayed Road, next to the 333-metre Rose Rayhaan by Rotana, a previous holder of tallest hotel record.
The gold-coloured Gevora is a dry hotel, and is aimed at families and travellers seeking to avoid Dubai's energetic nightlife while providing a more economical option.
Rooms are from Dh258 a night before taxes.
3. JW Marriott Marquis Hotel, Dubai: 355 metres
In Business Bay, the twin-towered JW Marriott Marquis opened in 2013 and held the record of the tallest hotel for five years before being overtaken by Gevora Hotel.
With 1,608 rooms, the business hotel is one of the largest by number of rooms in the UAE. It's also home to a number of award-winning restaurants including steakhouse Prime68, Indian restaurant Rang Mahal and Tong Thai.
Rooms are from Dh700 a night before taxes.
4. Rose Rayhaan by Rotana, Dubai: 333 metres
This four-star property made headlines when it took the tallest hotel title from Burj Al Arab in 2009. Unlike the famous sail-shaped hotel, Rose Rahyaan in Sheikh Zayed Road is largely focused on business travellers and GCC leisure guests, with an alcohol-free policy.
With nearly 500 rooms spread across 72 floors as well as three dining outlets and a wellness club, the tower is a looming example of postmodernism, with a distinctive tapered roof and spire that allows it to jut out of the skyline.
Rooms are from Dh238 a night before taxes.
5. Burj Al Arab, Dubai: 321 metres
One of Dubai's most famous landmarks, this sailboat-shaped luxury property is still the tallest all-suite hotel in the world.
Often referred to as a “seven-star” hotel, a grading that doesn't officially exist, the five-star property opened its doors in time for the new millennium – and made headlines with its gilded 24k gold interiors and celebrity guests, from Justin Bieber and Roger Federer to Gigi and Bella Hadid.
Burj Al Arab has also clinched other record-breaking titles, including most expensive cocktail at Dh27,321 ($7,439) and largest Swarovski crystal chandelier, with 21,000 crystals, worth Dh1.3 million.
Rooms are from Dh4,700 a night.
6. Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai: 309 metres
Construction of Jumeirah Emirates Towers started in 1996. Designed by architect Hazel Wong, who still counts it as her favourite project, the hotel is one of two towers, the second being a 350-metre office tower, with the two towers connected by a central podium called The Boulevard. The hotel officially opened its doors ahead of schedule, on April 15, 2000.
With 52 floors, the distinctive design consists of two equilateral triangles, connecting Islamic motifs with contemporary architecture.
Jumeirah Emirates Towers has 400 rooms and suites, including a two-level Royal Suite. It is also one of the first hotels in the UAE to launch a dedicated ladies-only room, with female staff.
Rooms are from Dh725 a night before taxes.
7. Baiyoke Sky Hotel, Bangkok: 309 metres
One of the tallest towers in Bangkok, Baiyoke Sky Hotel, previously known as Baiyoke Tower II, was completed in 1997. The 88-storey hotel features 673 guest rooms and is in the city's bustling Pratunam shopping district. It is also famous for its rooftop bar on the 83rd floor, as well as its 360-degree revolving roof deck on the 84th floor.
There's also an observation deck on the 77th floor, offering visitors expansive views of Bangkok city.
Rooms from Dh279 a night.
8. Address Beach Resort, Dubai: 301 metres
Part of a 77-storey twin-tower property, the five-star hotel, which opened in December 2020, has 217 hotel rooms and suites, 443 serviced apartments and 478 residential apartments.
Part of its allure is the location on the last plot of land on The Walk, JBR, which means a short walk to the beach – private and public – and the bright lights and energy of the city right on your doorstep.
With its own beach, the hotel already has two Guinness World Records to its name – for highest outdoor infinity pool in a building in the world and highest occupiable skybridge floor in the world.
Rooms from Dh1,328 a night before taxes.
9. The Tower Plaza, Dubai: 294 metres
This 65-storey tower offers 415 rooms, all with picturesque views of the Dubai skyline as well as Jumeirah Beach. In Sheikh Zayed Road and a few steps away from Museum of the Future, the five-star property was previously known as the Millennium Plaza Hotel.
Rooms cost from Dh292 per night before taxes.
10. Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, Manama: 270 metres
On a private island, this five-star property stands out on the Bahraini capital's skyline thanks to its unique architecture, featuring two concrete piers that host 17 floors of guest rooms starting from the tower's base, and two restaurants and conference floors at the top.
The 48-storey structure offers 273 guest rooms and a penthouse-level Skypod restaurant, offering views of the Arabian Gulf. The hotel also houses a business centre and several high-end restaurants, including Cut by Wolfgang Puck, an outpost of the London restaurant that was awarded a Michelin star in 2007.
Rooms from Dh1,753 a night before taxes.
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Healthcare spending to double to $2.2 trillion rupees
Launched a 641billion-rupee federal health scheme
Allotted 200 billion rupees for the recapitalisation of state-run banks
Around 1.75 trillion rupees allotted for privatisation and stake sales in state-owned assets
Disposing of non-recycleable masks
- Use your ‘black bag’ bin at home
- Do not put them in a recycling bin
- Take them home with you if there is no litter bin
- No need to bag the mask
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
Semi-final fixtures
Portugal v Chile, 7pm, today
Germany v Mexico, 7pm, tomorrow
The specs: 2018 Audi Q5/SQ5
Price, base: Dh183,900 / Dh249,000
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder / 3.0L, turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic / Eight-speed automatic
Power: 252hp @ 5,000rpm / 354hp @ 5,400rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,600rpm / 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy: combined 7.2L / 100km / 8.3L / 100km
The biog:
Favourite book: The Leader Who Had No Title by Robin Sharma
Pet Peeve: Racism
Proudest moment: Graduating from Sorbonne
What puts her off: Dishonesty in all its forms
Happiest period in her life: The beginning of her 30s
Favourite movie: "I have two. The Pursuit of Happiness and Homeless to Harvard"
Role model: Everyone. A child can be my role model
Slogan: The queen of peace, love and positive energy
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5