Burj Khalifa in Dubai turns 12: why the tallest skyscraper on Earth still wows the world

The tower opened in 2010 as a tribute to President Sheikh Khalifa

Fireworks are shot from Burj Khalifa during its opening ceremony on January 4, 2010. Jeff Topping / The National

Tom Cruise climbs Burj Khalifa in ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol’. Photo: Paramount Pictures

Downtown Dubai as taken in 2012 by the Pleiades satellite. Photo: European Space Agency

A web of lightning forms over Burj Khalifa on January 14, 2009. Paulo Vecina / The National

A shot of Burj Khalifa from the City Walk shopping district on April 2, 2016. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

The Moon, in its first quarter phase, starts to set on August 16, 2010. Jeff Topping / The National

A misty morning in Dubai. Getty

Window cleaners lower themselves from the 111th floor to the 73rd. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Since its completion, Burj Khalifa has held the record as the world’s tallest building. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Rawda Al Abrar Mosque in the foreground at sunset. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Burj Khalifa lights up to celebrate the Hope probe going into orbit around Mars on February 9. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The skyscraper is barely visible on a rare overcast day. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Burj Khalifa as seen across the creek, from the InterContinental hotel in Dubai Festival City in 2011. Pawan Singh / The National

A view of the tower from Downtown Dubai in 2020. Pawan Singh / The National

Lasers light up the sky in Dubai. Christopher Pike / The National

Fireworks are released from the building’s surface to mark the new year. EPA

Twelve years ago today Burj Khalifa in Dubai was crowned king of the world's skyscrapers.

Soaring 828 metres into the sky it opened on January 4, as a tribute to President Sheikh Khalifa.

The statistics of the skyscraper speak for themselves: the highest observation deck in the world; 200 floors; and 22 million man hours needed for its construction.

Developed by Emaar, it is the centrepiece of the Downtown Dubai District that includes Dubai Mall and Dubai Fountain.

Burj Khalifa was designed by Adrian Smith of Skidmore, Owings and Merrit and influenced by the Great Mosque of Samarra in Iraq.

It uses a tubular system of construction, decreasing in size with height to minimise wind resistance.

The building’s height means that after viewing the sunset at ground level, it is possible to take the lift to the observation deck and watch it set again. This means that during Ramadan, at the top the fast is broken four minutes later.

Today, Burj Khalifa is one of world's biggest tourist attractions and its crown as the world's tallest building is intact.

Then and now: Burj Khalifa rises in Dubai