DUBAI Metro
Burj Dubai to open on UAE National Day
The Burj Dubai is scheduled for opening on December 2.
Burj Dubai developer Emaar has confirmed the Burj Dubai will open on
the UAE National Day.
Emaar chairman Mohammed Alabbar said 12,000 staff were working to
complete the remaining works on the world’s tallest building.
Cladding work on the shiny silver-colored tower's outside is
complete.
Completion of the aluminum and glass facade marks a key milestone
for Emaar Properties, which is racing to meet a self-imposed
deadline to have the Burj Dubai complete by the end of the year.
By way of comparison, the builder says the amount of aluminum used
on the building's face weighs as much as five double-decker Airbus
A380 jetliners, while the more than 1 million square feet (103,000
square meters) of glass panels could cover 14 soccer fields.
The Burj Dubai, Arabic for "Dubai Tower," stands more than 2,600
feet (800 meters) tall, though Emaar has yet to confirm is final
height.
The final cladding on the Burj Dubai was installed at the start of
October, 18 months after the project began.
In total, there are 24,348 cladding panels covering a total curtain
wall area of 132,190 square metres and using 103,000 square metres
of glass – enough to cover 14 football pitches.
The 15,500 square metres of embossed stainless steel is the
equivalent of 34 basketball courts, while the total length of
gaskets – 2,050,000 linear metres – would reach from Dubai to
Damascus if laid end-to-end.
The IT Department at Corporate Technical Support Services Sector of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) announced that Dubai has become the first city across the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) regions to enter its public transport network in the digital space know as Google Maps.
The new feature enables public bus
users, including residents, visitors and tourists in the emirate, to
plan their daily travels in advance through this technology; which
is easy to use and accessible to all internet users 24 hours a day.
A statement to this effect was made in
a recent bilateral meeting during which an agreement was signed
between the RTA and Google. The agreement was signed for RTA by the
CEO of Corporate Technical Support Services Sector Abdullah Al
Madani and for Google Co. by the Regional Product & Marketing
Manager Wael Ghonim. Following the signing of the agreement, Dubai
public transport map was entered in Google Map website to overlay
routes of public transport network information in full coordination
with RTA Public Transport Agency.
“The initiative of uploading various
transport information on Google Maps is a co-service intended to
enhance “Journey Planner” initiative know, as “Wojhati” launched by
Public Transport Agency in the first quarter of this year. The new
initiative will definitely enable a large portion of potential users
across the globe to gain access to the public transport network in
the emirate of Dubai” said Al Madani.
This technology aims at assisting
public transport users in Dubai in establishing the optimum mobility
method, and enlists the available public bus routes options
depending on the starting point, destinations and travel times. The
service also enables both residents & visitors to inquire about the
timing of bus schedules and routes through checking them on Google
Maps. In this sense, Dubai becomes one of more than 50 cosmopolitan
cities to use this technology such as London, Paris, New York, and
Zurich with sophisticated public transport networks across the
globe.
“Whether the user wishes to book a
hotel or restaurant, he or she can activate the display of
transportation charts on Google Maps to know the nearest bus route.
This service also enables the user to move between destinations on
Google Maps website, or search a particular destination; where the
service will identify and display the best travel means together
with bus routes & schedules in a smooth format” added Al Madani.
Dubai Aquarium &
Underwater Zoo
It is only one year on but already
Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo is one of the most visited tourist
destinations in the
region
and still retains its title for the ‘World’s Largest Acrylic Panel’.
The spectacular showcase of the marine
world acts as one of the centre pieces of The Dubai Mall. Just one
year ago it received global recognition from the Guinness Book for
the ‘World’s Largest Acrylic Panel’ and has already been viewed by
over 30 million visitors to the mall.
Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo has
also welcomed more than 1.5 million paid visitors, who toured the
walkthrough tunnel for closer encounters of the 33,000 aquatic
animals and the Underwater Zoo for a touch-and-feel experience of
the world’s amazing marine diversit
Burj
Dubai, the tallest building in the world, will open on January 4 next
year. The opening will coincide with the fourth anniversary of H.H
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum becoming the Ruler of Dubai.
"We decided to inaugurate the world's
highest tower during an anniversary that is dear to the hearts of
everyone," Emaar chairman Mohammed Alabbar said.
"The Burj Dubai reflects the ambitious
vision set by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid." Work on the
Burj Dubai started in January 2004 and the tower reached 100 levels
in January 2007. A month later, it surpassed the Sears Tower in
Chicago as the building with the most floors in the world.