Burj Al Arab

The city of superlatives

In the short space of twenty years, Dubai has become the embodiment of excess and extravagance. It’s here that the maddest and costliest projects see the light of day. “Always more” seems to be the motto of this coastal city whose origins are very modest, since it was once a simple pearl fishing port, pearls being its only source of income for centuries. Dubai, in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula, is situated in a basically hostile region with torrid dry heat all year long. Over the years, it has become the second largest territory in the United Arab Emirates thanks to its oil deposits discovered in 1966. The economic boom that followed was a mere formality. The fishing village is now a city in which buildings emerge from the ground in the same way as the Emirate’s oil and natural gas. But Dubai has another important source of income. In 2008, it received seven million visitors. Tourism is therefore a vital part of this almost unreal city which is redefining the limit of what is possible. In the hotel category, Dubai is reputed to represent the height of contemporary luxury.

The incarnation of Dubai’s prestige

“The client wanted a building which would become an icon, a symbolic message of what Dubai was all about, like the opera house in Sydney, Big Ben in London or the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Dubai needed a structure which would become synonymous with the country. Tom Wright, the Burj Al-Arab’s architect accomplished this mission. The Arab Tower is considered to be the most luxurious hotel in the world. In a five star classification system it is listed as seven stars. Its 321 meters make it the fourth tallest hotel in the world and a monument symbolizing the strength of Dubai. Anchored in Arab history, its form is modelled after a traditional sailing ship known as a “boutre” or “dhow”. The Burj Al-Arab is above all a technological wonder. This contemporary and futuristic structure was built on a 280-meter coastal landfill. The 26 floors of pure luxury include a heliport, a panoramic restaurant, an underwater restaurant, 220 duplex suites, a spa, etc. etc. The materials used to build it came from all over the world including 30 different kinds of marble. Each floor has its own reception area. The dizzying splendor of the entire hotel is visible from the 180-meter high atrium. In addition, there are two royal suites on the 25^th floor, each equipped with a private screening room, a private elevator, a conference room, an immense dressing room and a rotating bed that makes even veteran jetsetters’ heads spin.

The heliport was transformed into a tennis court for a friendly match between Roger Federer and Andre Agassi in 2004, which took place at an altitude of 211 meters!