Iran's Attacks on UAE: Burj Khalifa, Tourism Industry Suffer Major Setbacks

Burj Khalifa, a skyscraper in Dubai, UAE, is the world’s tallest tower designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill and developed by Emaar properties with a total height of 830 metres, built at a cost of $1.5 Billion. The construction began in 2004, being made with structural steel and was completed in 2009 ready to be opened in the year 2010. The tower used a significant amount of steel, concrete, cement and glass, including 35 thousand tons of structural steel.

The building was named after the former President of the UAE, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The structure features a cladding system designed to withstand hot summers, containing 57 elevators and 8 escalators. The decision to build Burj Khalifa was based on the government’s decision to diversify from an oil-based economy to that of service and tourism-based. It was built to attract investment and build an international reputation.

The Burj Khalifa’s water system supplies an average of 946,000 Litres of water per day through 100 kilometers of pipe.

The image built by the UAE over the years as a country with strict laws and a safe, wealthy economy was shattered on Saturday as Iranian missiles targeted Dubai, setting fires and damaging luxury hotels and airport zones.

Many targets were intercepted beforehand, but the debris and impact hit the residences and landmarks, especially near the area of the world’s largest tower, Burj Khalifa. The tower itself was evacuated as a precaution during the attacks as well as the closing of UAE airlines after the strikes and damage, killing dozens.

Impact on Burj Khalifa: Tourism activities were halted temporarily, leading to evacuation and security lockdown of the tower complex. The proximity of debris is so great that even without a direct hit, it has caused a lot of damage to the tall structures of Dubai, leading to safety inspections.

The strike did not destroy Burj Khalifa, but impacted its travel and tourism economy and damaged its reputation as a safe haven for investors and tourists.