Burj Dubai may not be completed until "August or September 2009"

The Burj Dubai is facing up to a nine month delay and is unlikely to be finished until August or September next year, Emaar Chairman Mohammed Alabbar revealed on Monday.

Alabbar told reporters in Dubai that the world's tallest building may not be completed until "August or September 2009".

"With a project like this you have to get it absolutely right," he said.

The mega-project was originally scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.

The remarks are the second time Alabbar has warned construction of the Burj Dubai has fallen behind schedule.

In March the chairman said the tower would likely be delayed by four months, which Emaar said in a subsequent statement was related to the interior design of the tower.

Work on the Burj Dubai was delayed in November when around 40,000 labourers employed by Arabtec, one of the construction companies working on the project, went on strike for a week over pay and conditions.

Arabtec Executive Director Tom Berry said at the time the strikes could cause the company miss completion dates for some of its key projects in Dubai, without being more specific.

The Burj Dubai currently stands at over 630 metres and its final height is rumoured to be between 700 and 1,000 metres, although Emaar remains tight-lipped on the subject.

Local media reports last year said the final height would be 818 metres, citing architects drawings posted on the internet.

In April the tower, already the world’s tallest building and tallest free-standing structure, became the world’s tallest manmade structure, surpassed the 628.8-metre high KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota, US.

The Burj Dubai is to be the centrepiece of a city within a city, Downtown Burj Dubai. The $20 billion development as a whole will include 30,000 homes, nine hotels, 6.2 acres of parkland, 19 residential towers, the Dubai Mall, and a 30-acre manmade lake.

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Burj Dubai soars to Dh13,000 per sq.ft.

The cost of a square foot in some parts of the Burj Dubai has increased to Dh13,000.

Prices in the world's highest tower, which is due to open by the end of 2009, start at Dh 10,000 per sq ft compared to Dh 4,000 just a few months ago.

The Burj Dubai's biggest competitor in terms of price is the Palm Trump International Hotel and Tower, where the square foot rate recently topped Dh12,500.

The Palm Jumeirah has retained first place in terms of returns as the rate has risen to more than 600 per cent over the past six years.

Some villas that were sold for Dh2.6m five years ago have recently attracted offers of more than Dh13m. Meanwhile record amounts are being paid in developments such as Business Bay, the Lagoons and Culture Village areas.

Office units in Business Bay saw a big demand from traders who buy large areas and resell them at an average profit margin of up to 80 per cent. The price of office units in Business Bay range currently from Dh 1,200 to more than Dh 2,600 per sq ft. The price of one built-up square foot in Jumeirah Village ranges from Dh 680 to Dh 1,000, while the price of each built-up square foot in areas where 10-storey buildings can be constructed has gone up substantially.

Dubai Waterfront, Downtown Jebel Ali and International City are seeing increases in prices.

At 636 metres, the Burj Dubai is now the world's tallest man-made structure, having recently surpassed the 628.8m KVLY-TV mast in the United States.

Developer Emaar has not disclosed the tower's final height but it is expected to be in the range of 700m to 1,000m. Some reports say the final height will be 818m, an estimate based on architectural designs published on the internet.

The Burj Dubai is the most important part of the Dh20 billion Downtown Burj Dubai project, which includes 30,000 apartments, nine hotels, 6.2 acres of car parking, 19 residential towers, Dubai Mall and a 30-acre artificial lake.

The Trump Tower, located on The Palm Jumeirah, is regarded as the most luxurious commercial building in Dubai.

It will be the centrepiece building on the Golden Mile, located on the trunk of the Palm.

Initially the tower was shaped like an opening golden tulip, but in April 2006 its design was changed to feature a split linked tower with an open core design.

The 48-storey mixed-use building will have a 300-room five-star hotel and 360 freehold residential apartments. The amenities will include exclusive access to a private beach and yacht club with tennis courts, gym and fitness centre, pools and gardens.

The ambitious Dh2.2bn project is the first joint venture between Nakheel.

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Burj Dubai is now 629 metres (2,063.6 ft) high

Burj Dubai (Dubai Tower) has surpassed the height of the KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota, USA, to become the world's tallest man-made structure.

Developed by the Emaar Properties, the iconic high-rise Burj Dubai is now 629 metres (2,063.6 ft) high while KVLY-TV, which holds the record for the world's tallest supported structure since 1963, has a height of 628.8 metres (2,063 ft).

Burj Dubai is already the world's tallest building and tallest free-standing structure, and at 160 storeys, is taller than Taipei 101 (508 metres; 1667 ft) in Taiwan and CN Tower (553.33 metres; 1815.5 ft) in Toronto, Canada. Burj Dubai is billed to meet all four criteria listed by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), which classifies the world's tallest structures.

CTBUH measures the height of buildings to the structural top, the highest occupied floor, the top of the roof and the tip of the spire, pinnacle, antenna, mast or flag pole.

The KVLY-TV mast in Blanchard, North Dakota, is a television transmitting mast, which was completed in 1963. Burj Dubai also towers over KXJB-TV, which at 628 metres (2,060 ft) was the second tallest artificial structure in the world, and the KXTV/KOVR Tower, a guyed communication tower in Walnut Grove, California, that rises to 624.5 metres (2,049 ft).

Mohamed Ali Alabbar, Chairman of Emaar Properties, said: "Emaar's Burj Dubai has accomplished another milestone in its development, placing the city of Dubai and Burj Dubai once again in the global spotlight. With over 160 storeys now, the most number of liveable floors in any building in the world, Burj Dubai is already pushing the frontiers in architecture, construction and engineering excellence.'' "The significance of Burj Dubai surpassing the height of the KVLY-TV mast is that it demonstrates the pioneering achievement of mankind in creating urban environments that defy conventions. With over 5,000 professionals and skilled workers from around the world working on site, Burj Dubai's new feat is another celebration of teamwork." he added.

When completed, Burj Dubai will have used 330,000 cubic meters of concrete, 39,000 metric tons of steel rebar and 142,000 sq m of glass.

Emaar is partnering with South Korean construction major Samsung Corporation and New York-based Project Manager Turner Construction in constructing Burj Dubai, which was designed by Adrian Smith and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill of Chicago.

Burj Dubai, the centerpiece of Emaar's flagship mega-project, the AED 73 billion (US$20 billion) Downtown Burj Dubai, will feature residences, commercial space and retail space and hospitality elements including the world's first Armani Hotel and Armani Residences.

Downtown Burj Dubai is regarded as the new centre of Dubai and already has a thriving community of residents. WAM

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Emaar Q1 profit to near $500m

Profit at Emaar Properties probably accelerated to dhs1.81 billion ($492.9 million) in the first quarter on sales of its Burj Dubai project, according to a survey of analysts. Net income in the three months to March 31 may have risen 5.2 per cent compared with the year-earlier period, when profit was dhs1.72 billion, according to the average forecast of analysts in a survey of three analysts by newswire Reuters.

“It’s the Burj Dubai project being recognised, generating sales,” said Mohammed Kamal, who researches Emaar for Deutsche Bank. He expects profit at the largest Arab real estate company by market value to surge 15.1 per cent. In the fourth quarter of last year, Emaar had beaten the average of analysts’ forecasts, posting a 1.3 per cent increase in profit.

“Margins were higher,” Kamal said of the last three months. In the fourth quarter, profit rose after construction costs declined as the Burj Dubai project neared completion. The tower will cost about $900 million and is due to open this year, though Emaar Chairman Mohamed Alabbar last month said that construction was four months behind schedule.

Egyptian investment bank EFG-Hermes last month kept its short-term ‘accumulate’ and long-term ‘buy’ recommendations for Emaar stocks, citing a rise in the company’s net asset value. It gave the shares a long-term fair value of dhs18.50, compared with Monday’s close of dhs10.95.

The stock has fallen 26.5 per cent this year. Emaar said yesterday that Dubai Mall, to be one of the world’s largest shopping malls, is due to open towards the end of the year. Source

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Burj Dubai hit by four-month delay

Emaar Properties' Burj Dubai is four months behind schedule and may now not be finished by the end of this year as originally planned, it has been revealed.

Emaar Chairman Mohamed Alabbar said on Tuesday the world's tallest structure would not be finished on time, without giving further details as to the reason for the delay.
"We are about four months late," Alabbar told reporters.
Emaar said last month construction on the tower had been stepped up to meet an "accelerated schedule", without giving further details.

An Emaar official said in July the Burj Dubai would open sometime before Christmas this year, which means the tower may not now be finished until spring 2009.

Work on the Burj Dubai was delayed in November when around 40,000 labourers employed by Arabtec, one of the construction companies working on the project, went on strike for a week over pay and conditions.

Arabtec Executive Director Tom Berry said at the time the strikes could cause the company miss completion dates for some of its key projects in Dubai.

The Burj Dubai currently stands at just over 600 metres, over 90 metres higher than the world's tallest building, Taiwan's Taipei 101, and over 40 metres higher than the world's tallest free-standing structure, Toronto's CN Tower.

The only structure now left for the Burj to overtake is the KVLY/KTHI television mast in Blanchard, US, which measures 628.8 metres.

The Burj Dubai will not be officially recognised as the world's tallest structure until it is completed.

Emaar has remained tight lipped over the final height, but it is rumoured to be between 700 and 1,000 metres.

Local media reports last year said the final height would be 818 metres, citing architects drawings posted on the internet.

The Burj Dubai is to be the centrepiece of a city within a city, Downtown Burj Dubai. The $20 billion development as a whole will include 30,000 homes, nine hotels, 6.2 acres of parkland, 19 residential towers, the Dubai Mall, and a 30-acre manmade lake. The development will cost around $20 billion. Source

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Burj Dubai's 94th floor purchased for $12m

A European investor has recently acquired the 94th floor of Burj Dubai for approximately $12 million, Khaleej Times reported.

The world's highest office level measures a total of 11,000 square feet and the transaction was facilitated by the Dubai-based Eqarat.com.

Burj Dubai is the centerpiece project in Emaar's 500-acre Downtown Burj Dubai development, which includes residences, hotels, retail spaces and community centers.

It is worth mentioning that Burj Dubai is the world's tallest building which stands at 604.9 meters. (MENAFN)

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Burj Dubai on SALE

More than 300 people spent Friday night queuing up outside Emaar Properties' Burj Dubai sales centre, desperate to grab several new units in the developer's flagship project.

In unprecedented scenes, some buyers are thought to have paid nearly 8 million dirhams ($2.18 million) for one bedroom apartments in the Burj itself, and over 2 million dirhams for one bedroom apartments in Downtown Burj Dubai.

Emaar announced on Thursday it would be hosting a sales event for an "exclusive collection" of high-end homes drawn from various residential projects in Downtown Burj Dubai.

Residential projects included The Old Town, The Residences, South Ridge, Burj Dubai Lake Hotel & Serviced Apartments and The Dubai Mall Hotel & Serviced Apartments, some of which are ready to move into immediately.

The units officially went on sale at 9am on Saturday morning. However, by 3am queues had already built up, with many eager buyers bringing blankets, food and drink with them. Many were armed with cheque books and passports, keen to snap up anything they could.

"It got busy very early. The rumours have been going around of units going for 3,000 dirhams per square foot, which is very high but most people still think the price is going to rise a lot more as the Burj Dubai nears completion," said Robert Macnair, branch manager of property consultants Sherwoods.

"Many of these properties have gone up 25% in value within the last three months alone.”

Downtown Burj Dubai is being marketed as "a city within a city", and will include 30,000 homes, nine hotels, 6.2 acres of parkland, 19 residential towers, the Dubai Mall, and a 30-acre manmade lake.

The Burj Dubai, the tallest building in the world, will be the centrepiece of the $20 billion development. Source

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Burj Dubai rising high

Burj Dubai, the iconic tower developed by global property developer Emaar Properties, has scaled 158 levels - the most in any building in the world - and is now 598.5 metres high.

A press release from Emaar said that cladding work of the tower is now ongoing at an accelerated pace with 58 storeys already wearing the shimmering sheen of the high-performance cladding system. The primary materials used - reflective glazing, aluminum and textured stainless steel spandrels and vertical stainless tubular fins - accentuate the tower's height and slenderness to the eye.

Burj Dubai is now taller than Taipei 101 (508 metres; 1667 ft) in Taiwan and the CN Tower (553.33 metres; 1815.5 ft) in Toronto, Canada. When completed, the tower will have used 330,000 cubic meters of concrete, 39,000 metric tons of steel rebar and 142,000 sq m of glass - and 22 million man hours. More than 5,000 consultants and skilled professional workers are employed on-site at the tower.

Emaar Properties partners with South Korean construction major Samsung Corporation and New York-based Project Manager Turner Construction in constructing Burj Dubai, which is designed by Adrian Smith and Skidmore, Owings and Merrill of Chicago. (WAM)

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Burj Dubai nearly at its peak

The ‘topping out' of the Burj Dubai is expected to take place at the end of October. According to Geir Jensen, general manager of Doka Gulf, who are undertaking the formwork for the project, the company expects to finish the concrete works on the world's tallest tower by 24 October, paving the way for the steel work.
"We will top out with concrete within ten days," said Jensen.
Once this is complete, Doka Gulf will concentrate on completing the side aspects of the tower, the tapering nature of which will act as wind breaks.

Jensen added that the tower will reach a height of 585.75 metres once the concrete work has been completed.
But as the core starts 15.75 metres below ground level, the total height of the concrete structure will be 601 metres. The Burj Dubai will have 156 floors by the time it is finished, which is expected at the end of next year.
Malaysia's Eversendai Corporation recently won the $14.7 million contract from Samsung Corporation for the structural steelworks.
The company will require more than 4,000 tonnes of steel for the work.
The final height of the tower has not been disclosed by developer Emaar Properties. However, it is widely believed it will be more than 700 metres.
In September, the Burj Dubai surpassed Toronto's CN Tower to become the tallest free-standing structure in the world. Source

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Burj Dubai Becomes the World's Tallest Free-Standing Structure

Burj Dubai is the world's tallest free-standing structure, beating the 31-year old record held by the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada, its developer said today.
The Dubai tower, situated 1 kilometer southwest of Dubai's financial center, now has 150 storeys and is 555.3 meters (1,822 feet) high, surpassing the CN Tower's 553.3 meters, Emaar Properties PJSC said in an e-mailed statement, without disclosing when it measured the building.
Burj Dubai will eventually rise above the KVLY-TV mast in Blanchard, North Dakota, to become the world's tallest structure, Emaar said, without giving a target height. The 628.8-meter mast is supported by guy-wires and so is not free-standing, according to Emaar.

Emaar is the Middle East's biggest real estate developer, and started building the $900 million, 160-storey Burj Dubai in 2004 to be the centerpiece of its $20 billion `Downtown' project. The tower is facing delays of at least a year after Swiss contractor Schmidlin Ltd. Facade Technology went bankrupt, leaving it without external walls.
Samsung Corp. is building Burj Dubai with help from New York-based Turner Corp. and Cardiff, U.K.-based Hyder Consulting Plc. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP is the architectural designer.
Emaar on May 31 said Burj Dubai reached 468.1 meters to become the world's second-tallest building after the 509-meter Taipei 101 tower in Taiwan. Source

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Burj Dubai is set to become the tallest building in the world

The Burj Dubai will become the world's tallest tower on 21st July 2007 .The structure is set to overtake current record holder Taipei 101 which measures 509m. The announcement was made during a briefing on safety measures being adopted at the site. No further details were released.
When completed, it will hold the record in all four categories as recognized by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (i.e., highest structure, roof, antenna and occupied floor) and have the highest publicly accessible observation deck. The tip of the spire can be seen by a person 95 km (60 miles) away. A person in the Observation Deck can see as far away as 80 km (50 miles), which is more than twice the distance from Dubai to Al Ain. The design of the Burj Dubai is derived from the geometries of the desert flower and the patterning systems embodied in Islamic architecture. It combines these historical and cultural influences with cutting-edge technology to achieve a high-performance building which will set the new standard for development in the Middle East and become the model for the future of the city of Dubai.
Emaar gained the international spotlight with Burj Dubai, its iconic development, currently achieving the status of the second tallest tower in the world. Source

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Finance for Burj interiors agreed

Depa Interiors has signed a $117 million deal with Mashreqbank and HSBC to partly finance its $162.7 million contract work at Burj Dubai.The Middle East interior contracting company, and a subsidiary of Depa United Group (DUG), is to carry out the interiors work for 899 serviced and residential apartments in the building.The announcement was made at a press conference held on Tuesday and attended by Mohannad Sweid, CEO of DUG, Mohamed Al-Mulla, CEO of HSBC Abu Dhabi and Omar Bouhadiba, Head of Corporate and Investment Banking at Mashreqbank.

"Depa's strong growth over the past years has always been fueled by our ability to work with top tier partners across different sectors and business spheres," said Mr. Sweid."We are very happy to now be associated with two of the top banks operating in the region and on such a prestigious project."DUG earned AED1.1 billion (about $300 million) in revenues in 2006 - driven by the region's huge demand for interior work - placing it in the top 20 global specialist contractors. Source

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Burj Dubai sets world record

Emaar's Burj Dubai tower, already the tallest structure in the Middle East and Europe, has set a new global record for having more floors than any other building in the world. Currently, at 120 storeys and 422.5m high, the iconic building is also one of the five tallest structures in the world. It is taller than the Empire State Building (381m) in New York City and the John Hancock Centre (344m) in Chicago, two of only five completed buildings in the world that reach 100 storeys or more.The proposed height of the Burj Dubai tower has still not been officially revealed. It is thought that it will stand at 166 storeys high, topped with a 30-metre spire, upon completion. This would mark a final height of over 606 metres.

"Burj Dubai is setting a new record with every passing day - in terms of height and the number of storeys," said Mohamed Ali Alabbar, Chairman of Emaar Properties. "This is the accomplishment of teamwork, with the world's best in engineering, construction and design services working together to create a new landmark not only for the UAE, but for the entire world." To date, 304,800 cubic metres of reinforced concrete and 59,200 tonnes of reinforcing steel have been used in the construction of Burj Dubai. Designed by Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), Burj Dubai is constructed by high-rise experts South Korea's Samsung Corporation. Turner Construction International is the project and construction manager.When completed, Burj Dubai will be the tallest building in the world in all four categories recognised by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), which compiles and ranks the world's tallest buildings. CTBUH ranks buildings on the basis of spire height, the highest occupied floor, roof height and pinnacle height. A mixed-use tower, Burj Dubai will have residences, commercial spaces, and the Armani Hotel Dubai, a luxury hotel developed by Emaar in association with haute couture major Giorgio Armani. There will also be recreational facilities and entertainment venues including four luxurious pools and a cigar club, a library, exclusive residents' lounge, serviced residences, 15,000 sq ft of fitness facilities and an observatory. Source

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Burj Dubai work to finish on time

Emaar Properties, developer of the $900 million Burj Dubai, has said the world's tallest tower will meet its scheduled completion dates despite continued delays to the exterior facade of the building.
The concrete structure remains exposed to the elements due mainly to the bankruptcy of Swiss-based curtain walling giant Schmidlin last year, the parent company of Schmidlin, which was contracted to install the tower's exterior materials.
Greg Sang, Emaar's assistant director of projects and the man overseeing the entire $20 billion Downtown Burj Dubai development, admitted that the tower was now "the tallest building in the world without glass", but said it will be completed by fourth quarter 2008, as originally scheduled.
"We've got extra workers on board and you'll see by the end of the year how it pans out," he told a meeting of the British Business Group yesterday.
The fact that the concrete structure is exposed to the elements in fact has no impact on its strength or durability, said Rod Stewart, regional managing director, Hyder Consulting Middle East, which acted as consultants on the project.
Accelerate work
Stewart also said it is possible for a contractor to accelerate cladding work to catch up with overall construction.
Earlier, Sang told Gulf News that the project is "a couple of months" behind schedule, but did not reveal details of the current work timetable at yesterday's meeting.
Revealing details of the exterior he said: "The cladding consists of 142,000 square metres, which is about 27 football pitches to be hung on the outside of the building. It's a unitised system so it can go in pretty fast."
"The facade looks like quite simple, with two panes of glass and aluminium framing, but it has to do a do. It has to structurally sustain the windload and cope with the building movements. It also has to keep the heat out, be air and water tight and be acoustically sound tight to keep out traffic noise."
He added that the glass exterior will be insulated, doubled glazed and coated with substances to increase reflectivity and limit condensation.
Sang remained tight-lipped on the final height of the building, but said it would be more than 700 metres. Work has reached 119 storeys and will rise to an unspecified figure above 160 floors.
The tower's occupied floors will be entirely made of concrete, while steel will be used to construct the very upper levels. (Gulf News)

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The Dubai Mall Hotel sales open

Emaar Properties is offering serviced apartments for sale at The Dubai Mall Hotel and Serviced Apartments located in the Downtown Burj Dubai. Amlak Finance is offering finance on the studios and one, two and three bedroom furnished apartments. The tower features restaurants, banquet halls, a business centre, meeting rooms, a gym with spa and swimming pool deck. Sales open on 10 March 2007. Source

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Updates on Burj Dubai

Burj Dubai is now the tallest structure in the Middle East and Europe. Currently at 110 levels and 380 metres high this Emaar's tower shares the honour of having the largest number of floors in any building in the world, alongside Sears Tower in Chicago. At the current height, Burj Dubai is also the world’s ninth tallest building.
Burj Dubai is already taller than Emirates Office Tower (355 metres), which was the tallest building in the region. At the moment the tower is only one metre shorter than the Empire State Building - the second tallest in the US. It is the centerpiece of the AED 73 billion (US$20 billion) Downtown Burj Dubai, a mixed-use project featuring residences, commercial space, hospitality projects and several retail outlets including The Dubai Mall, the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destination.
To date, 267,426 cubic metres of reinforced concrete and 49,684 tonnes of reinforcing steel have been used in the construction of Burj Dubai.Over 3,000 workers are currently employed at the Burj Dubai site. Ten cranes and the world’s fastest high-capacity construction hoists - with a speed of up to 2 m/sec (120 m/min) - are used to move men and material. Designed by Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the tower is constructed by high-rise experts South Korea’s Samsung Corporation. Turner Construction International is the project and construction manager.
When completed, Burj Dubai will be the tallest building in the world in all four categories recognised by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), which compiles and ranks the world’s tallest buildings. CTBUH ranks buildings on the basis of spire height, the highest occupied floor, roof height and pinnacle height. Burj Dubai will also mark the advent of a new lifestyle choice for Dubai residents and visitors. It will comprise 1,000 residences, commercial spaces, leisure facilities and The Armani Hotel, Dubai, developed by Emaar in association with Giorgio Armani .

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Burj Dubai

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Emaar denies that Burj Dubai completion will be delayed

"Burj Dubai, on course to become the tallest tower in the world, will face no delays on account of cladding works.
The new joint venture between Arabian Aluminium Company and the Far East Aluminium Works Company, which undertakes cladding, will work to an accelerated programme to ensure that the completion date remains unchanged," an Emaar spokesperson told Khaleej Times yesterday in response to speculation about possible delays to the $900 million tower.
Emaar Properties, one of the world's largest property developers, is behind the project.
Speculation over when Burj Dubai will be completed, scheduled for the end of next year, has arisen following the bankruptcy of Swiss-based cladding company, Schmidlin Ltd Façade Technology. Although the company filed for bankruptcy in February 2006, knowledge of the company's demise and its impact on the tower's completion date has only recently come into the public domain.
The company was involved in the high-end façade business, where there is high pressure on margins and intense competition. It was involved in about 32 projects around the world, including the Burj Al Arab and the Swiss Re tower in London.
The company has said bankruptcy was brought about by losses incurred in major projects and by calculation errors that were only discovered after the introduction of a new accounting system.
The Burj Dubai is expected to be at least 160 floors — the final floor count is confidential — and it is 103 stories high. Source

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Burj Dubai hits snags

The world's tallest tower, the $900 million Burj Dubai, is months off schedule after its cladding work timetable was thrown into disarray last year, officials admitted.
Current work on what will become the world's tallest building is "a couple of months" behind schedule, due mainly to the bankruptcy of Swiss-based curtain walling giant Schmidlin last year, the parent company of Schmidlin LLC, which was contracted to install exterior cladding on the still-exposed concrete tower.
"We had a problem with one of our partners on our curtain wall cladding and this had an impact on the site," said Greg Sang, Emaar's assistant director of projects and the man overseeing the entire $20 billion Downtown Burj Dubai development.
"We've got a new contractor on board and they are working very hard to catch up. At the rate they are making progress they should be able to do this."
Sang denied that construction would be complete up to a year later than its scheduled fourth quarter 2008 delivery date.
"We've got probably a couple of months in delay, but the final completion date is unchanged. We're still on schedule for the end of 2008," he said.
The Burj Dubai's exterior cladding not only has to protect the tower from Dubai's scorching temperatures and high dust levels, but also has to withstand strong winds, said Sang.
"Wind management is probably the most critical engineering challenge that we face. We have to minimise the movement so it's not uncomfortable. At most it will move 1.5 metres at the top," he said.
The final floor count of Dubai's mega project is still unknown, with project developers Emaar Properties refusing to comment on rumours that design changes have altered the final height of the building.
"We decided the final floor count but it's still confidential.
"We're currently at 103 floors and all we're saying is that it will be more than 160 floors when finished," said Sang.

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Dubai Building Becoming World's Tallest

The Burj Dubai skyscraper under construction here reached its 100th story on Tuesday, nearly two-thirds of the way in its relentless climb to become the world's tallest building.With 3,000 laborers adding a new floor nearly every three days, the $1 billion spire is days away from surpassing a neighboring skyscraper that is currently the tallest in the Middle East, Dubai-based developer Emaar said."The tower is a symbol of the city's pride and a statement of our arrival on the global scene as one of the world-class cities," Emaar chairman Mohammed Ali Al Abbar said.
When finished in two years, the silvery steel-and-glass building is expected to rise beyond 2,300 feet and more than 160 floors _ dozens of stories taller than the world's current tallest building, the Taipei 101 tower in Taiwan, which measures 1,671 feet and 101 floors.It will also top the world's tallest freestanding structure, Toronto's CN Tower, which stands 1,815 feet.

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