Timeframe: 25 facts about Jumeirah Emirates Towers as it turns 25

From resident peacocks to a ladies-only floor, here are some things you may not know about one of Dubai's most recognisable pieces of architecture

Jumeirah Emirates Towers is the fifth-tallest hotel building in the world. Photo: Jumeirah Emirates Towers

Jumeirah Emirates Towers opened 25 years ago this month, cementing Dubai’s standing as a global hub for eye-catching architecture. Consisting of a hotel and office tower, the building has lost none of its lustre over the past two-and-a-half decades and remains a visually striking gateway to the city's financial district.

“As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Jumeirah Emirates Towers, it is truly inspiring to reflect on its enduring legacy and pivotal role in the city’s economic and cultural evolution," says Kirti Anchan, general manager of Jumeirah Emirates Towers. “From its unique beginnings, born of an international design competition, to rising out of the desert sands as a symbol of Dubai’s astounding growth, this landmark has forever changed the landscape."

To mark its 25th anniversary, here are 25 facts about one of Dubai’s most recognisable buildings.

1. In the 1990s, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, launched a design competition for a new landmark in the emirate’s growing financial hub. He requested twin towers that would be at least twice the height of the 149-metre Dubai World Trade Centre.

2. Construction of Jumeirah Emirates Towers started in 1996. It was designed by architect Hazel Wong, who still counts it as her favourite project.

3. The hotel officially opened ahead of schedule on April 15, 2000.

4. Upon completion, it was the 10th-tallest building in the world.

5. At 52 floors, the hotel tower is now the fifth-tallest all-hotel building in the world.

6. The distinctive design consists of two equilateral triangles, connecting traditional Islamic themes with contemporary architecture.

7. The slender triangular towers are clad in aluminium panels, allowing the buildings to capture the sun’s changing light. This also allows different perspectives of the towers, depending on where they are viewed from within the city. Wong has said the “key objectives in the design of the Emirates Towers were to create the composition and placement of the twin towers to appear to be constantly changing, depending on the point of view and time of day”.

8. Jumeirah Emirates Towers consist of a 350-metre office tower and a 305-metre hotel tower, connected by a central podium, The Boulevard.

9. It is the only hotel in Dubai with its own metro station.

10. Architecture and design firm Pringle Brandon Perkins + Will masterminded the hotel’s lobby, with its 30 metre-high atrium.

11. The hotel’s four glass lifts travel at four metres per second.

12. Jumeirah Emirates Towers has 400 rooms and suites, including a two-storey Royal Suite.

13. There are three Presidential Suites, each a tribute to Rococo, Louis XVI and Scandinavian design styles.

14. It was one of the first hotels in the UAE to introduce a flotation therapy pool room, in its Talise Spa.

15. It was also one of the first hotels in the UAE to launch an exclusive ladies floor. The Chopard ladies-only floor, on the 40th level, has nine rooms and one suite. In-room amenities range from yoga mats and a cosmetics fridge to Chopard bathing products.

16. It is home to 13 dining and nightlife venues.

17. The hotel offers priority access to the neighbouring Museum of the Future through a private entrance.

18. The building was once the location of the annual Dubai Holding SkyRun event, the city’s only official vertical race. It covered 52 floors, 1,334 steps and 265 metres.

19. Jumeirah Emirates Towers has won numerous awards and accolades. Most recently, it was awarded Best Good Night Sleep at the Sleep Expo 2020.

20. The towers are home to the Office of the Future, which was inaugurated on May 23, 2016, and holds a Guinness World Record for being the world’s first 3D-printed office.

21. Jumeirah Emirates Towers is one of the landmarks on the reverse side of the AED 500 polymer bank note, introduced by the Central Bank of the UAE in November 2023.

22. The twin towers are part of a larger complex featuring gardens and waterfalls, as well as a parking space that can accommodate about 1,500 vehicles. Flocks of peacocks are often seen wandering in the grounds.

23. In 2024, the newly renovated lobby was revealed by interior design firm La Bottega, marking a new milestone for the renowned business and leisure hub. It features a 30-metre-high atrium crowned by four glass elevators that whisk guests skyward at breathtaking speed.

24. The hotel is only around 10.5km away from Dubai International Airport.

25. In January 2025, world champion slackliner Jaan Roose walked back and forth between both towers, along a 100-metre line at a height of 224 metres.