All eyes were on Dubai as it opened the doors to the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, amid speculation about the emirate’s financial crisis. Coinciding with the fourth anniversary of the accession of the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the inauguration ceremony was nothing less than grand. Life in the city came to a standstill as people gathered to watch a display of dancing fountains, a laser show, and 10,000 fireworks. As an estimated two billion people watched the inauguration, it was Dubai’s chance to show the world it still has what it takes.
There was, however, a looming tension and discomfort in the air as Sheikh Mohammed announced a sudden name change minutes before the ceremony. What was originally supposed to be called Burj Dubai was now Burj Khalifa, named after His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, ruler of Abu Dhabi. A kind gesture? I think not. After all, it was Abu Dhabi that gave Dubai a $10 billion US bailout package after the Dubai government revealed its difficulties paying off its almost $60 billion in liabilities.
As I watched the spectacular display, my excitement was dampened by the sudden rechristening of the 828-metre tower. At a time when Dubai needs to re-establish its position in the world market, naming your prized possession after the ruler of a richer and currently more popular neighbour isn’t the best PR exercise. After a year of constant media scrutiny, the people of Dubai had come together to be a part of this record-breaking event, only to be betrayed. A total of 22 million man-hours of labour were put in by construction workers—at the peak of construction, at least 12,000 workers were on site at once. The tower was supposed to be a symbol of optimism and a representation of the opulent spirit of a city that rose from the desert sands. Instead, the renamed tower was stripped of all it stood for.
Aside from the furore the renaming caused, many questioned whether the Burj Khalifa was even necessary at all in the face of the economic crisis. In an interview with the Globe and Mail, Carol Willis, the founder of the Skyscraper Museum in New York, stated, “Right now, I’m looking out my window at the Empire State Building, which opened on May 1, 1931, as the U.S. was sliding into the Great Depression. Twenty years from now, whether or not it’s still the tallest building, the Burj is going to be an expression of an investment that was typical of its time. It’s much more likely to be seen as a symbol of the confidence of an age than a predictor of failure.”
Even that can’t justify the environmental impact a building with such a stature will have in a country that already has the world’s highest per capita carbon footprint. The air-conditioning system of the building is said to be the equivalent of melting 12,500 tonnes of ice a day. While the rest of the world is moving towards promoting environmental sustainability, Dubai left it out of their development agenda.
In these tumultuous times, it was Dubai’s chance to show the western media the world’s tallest middle finger. Instead, it left its people disappointed and its image once again tarnished.
