Burj Khalifa: Man-made world's towering glory
It is a unique experience to be on the observation deck above the clouds
Dubai: The Burj Khalifa has broken a number of records as the tallest structure with the highest inhabited floor, the highest place of worship, the highest service elevator and the highest swimming pool.
The record breaker which excited me the most was the highest observation deck. Having experienced Dubai from the ground, a bird's eye view would be a refreshing take on the city I had come to know.
A multimedia journey depicting the history of the Burj Khalifa paved the way to the world's highest observation deck. Emotive scenes of construction, from start to finish showing the progress of the record-breaking tower and the history of the country that inspired its design prepared me for the sights that were yet to come.
An elevator decked in flashing LED screens distracted me from the heights I was reaching during my ascent to the 124th floor. 60 seconds later I was on top of the man-made world.
The Dubai I knew was miniaturised. Lego-like buildings lined Shaikh Zayed Road and miniscule cars made their way down Dubai's central transport vein. Stumps of buildings and the skeleton of Business Bay and its lake outlined what was yet to embrace the Dubai skyline.
Sandy tentacles
Villas spread out until the sea where The World Islands occupied the hazy horizon. Both Palm Islands could be seen sprawled out, their sandy tentacles outstretched across the sea. Over all of this the Burj Khalifa cast its shadow, its pinnacle stretching across the landscape.
Dotted around the observation deck were computerised telescopes allowing people to zoom in and out on the world below them.
A quick touch of a button revealed a sunbather in the Address Hotel or people getting into their cars at Burj Views below. Each comes equipped with a day-and-night vision option allowing visitors to see the city in its full lit-up glory and under the sharp glint of the sun.
An almost 360 degree view of Dubai presented the city in its entirety. Something that was previously only visible on helicopter flights will be available to the public from today.
