UAE | Heritage and Culture
Burj Al Arab is celebrating its 10th birthday
The iconic sail shaped hotel officially opened its opulent doors on December 1, 1999 after five years of construction.
- By Staff Reporter, Gulf News
- Published: 09:10 December 1, 2009
- Image Credit: Arshad Ali/Gulf News
- A tourist shoots a video of the Burj Al Arab in Dubai. The anniversary celebrations will be low key, with no grand fireworks displays or giant gala dinners planned.
The Burj Al Arab is celebrating its 10th birthday today.
The iconic sail shaped hotel officially opened its opulent doors on December 1, 1999 after five years of construction.
Standing at 321m, it was at the time the tallest hotel in the world, although that record has since been taken by the Ryugyong Hotel in North Korea and the Rose Tower in Dubai (although this has yet to officially open).
The hotel, which was built on a man made island in front of the old Chicago Beach Hotel, boasts 202 suites and claimed to be the world’s first seven star hotel.
Since it’s opening, the hotel has been a byword for luxury and it’s famous outline has helped plant Dubai firmly on the world map.
It also featured heavily in one of the most iconic sporting photo shoots in history, when Andre Agassi and Roger Federer played tennis on the Burj’s helipad to help publicise the Dubai Tennis Championships.
But fittingly for a very private hotel, the celebrations for the anniversary will be low key, with no grand fireworks displays or giant gala dinners planned.
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