/Khalifa-97434539-crop-59aefec1b501e800117d127d.jpg)
Honestly, it is hard to wrap your head around just how big the Burj Khalifa actually is. You’ve probably seen the photos. Maybe you’ve even seen it in a movie where Tom Cruise is swinging off the side like it’s a backyard jungle gym. But standing at the base of the biggest skyscraper in the world in the middle of Dubai is a totally different vibe. It doesn't even look real. It looks like someone took a piece of the future and just dropped it into the desert.
It’s 828 meters tall.
That is roughly 2,717 feet. If you’re trying to picture that, think about stacking three Eiffel Towers on top of each other. Or, better yet, think about the fact that the temperature at the very top is actually about 6 degrees Celsius cooler than it is at the bottom. You are literally in a different climate zone by the time you reach the spire.
What most people get wrong about the tallest building
A lot of people think that the title of "world's tallest" is something that changes every few months. In the early 20th century, that was kinda true. New York and Chicago were in this frantic arms race, and buildings like the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building were constantly leapfrogging each other. But the Burj Khalifa has been sitting at the top since 2010. That is a massive run.
For sixteen years, nothing has even come close to touching it.
The Jeddah Tower situation
You might have heard about a building in Saudi Arabia called the Jeddah Tower. For a while, everyone was saying it would be the first building to hit the one-kilometer mark. It was supposed to destroy the Burj’s record. But then construction just... stopped. For years, it was just a concrete stump sitting in the sand.
✨ Don't miss: How Long Ago Did the Titanic Sink? The Real Timeline of History's Most Famous Shipwreck
But here is the update for 2026: work is back on.
As of January 2026, the Jeddah Tower has finally pushed past the 80-floor mark. The engineers are moving fast now, adding new floors every few days. It is finally on track to potentially take the crown, but it won’t be finished until at least 2028. So, for now, the Burj Khalifa is still the king. It’s the undisputed heavyweight champion of the skyline.
The silver medal goes to Malaysia
If you aren't a total architecture nerd, you might have missed the arrival of Merdeka 118. It’s located in Kuala Lumpur and it is officially the second tallest building in the world. It stands at 678.9 meters.
It's beautiful, sure. The spire is inspired by the silhouette of Malaysia’s first Prime Minister raising his hand during the declaration of independence. But even with that massive spire, it’s still nearly 150 meters shorter than the Burj Khalifa. 150 meters! That is basically the height of a whole other 40-story skyscraper. That gives you an idea of the lead the Burj has on everyone else.
Life at the top (literally)
What’s actually inside the biggest skyscraper in the world? It’s not just one big office building. It’s more like a vertical city.
🔗 Read more: Why the Newport Back Bay Science Center is the Best Kept Secret in Orange County
The first few floors are the Armani Hotel. Giorgio Armani himself oversaw the design, so it’s all very sleek, very "quiet luxury." Then you have hundreds of private apartments. Imagine telling someone your home address is "Floor 90 of the Burj Khalifa." The logistics of just getting your groceries up there involve multiple elevator transfers.
The elevator ride
The elevators are some of the fastest in the world. They move at about 10 meters per second. When you’re headed to the observation decks on levels 124 or 148, your ears don't just pop—they practically rebel.
- At the Top (Levels 124 & 125): This is where most tourists go. It’s high, it’s windy, and the views of the Persian Gulf are insane.
- At the Top SKY (Level 148): This is the "VIP" experience. It’s 555 meters up. You get dates, Arabic coffee, and a lot less elbowing from other tourists.
- At.mosphere (Level 122): This is the highest restaurant in the world. If you want to eat dinner while looking down at the clouds, this is the spot. Just be prepared for the bill—you’re paying for the altitude as much as the steak.
How do you even build something this big?
The engineering behind this thing is sort of terrifying when you really dig into it. You can't just build a square box and expect it to stay up at 800 meters. The wind at that height is powerful enough to snap a normal building in half.
The architects (the famous firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill) used a "buttressed core" design. Basically, it looks like a three-pointed star from above. As the building goes higher, each "wing" steps back in a spiral pattern. This isn't just to look pretty. It "confuses" the wind. Instead of the wind hitting a flat surface and creating a massive organized force, the spiral shape breaks the wind into smaller, weaker swirls.
And then there's the weight. They used 330,000 cubic meters of concrete. They had to pump that concrete nearly 600 meters straight up into the air, which was a world record in itself. They had to do most of the pouring at night because the Dubai summer heat would have caused the concrete to set too fast and crack. They actually added ice to the mixture to keep it cool.
💡 You might also like: Flights from San Diego to New Jersey: What Most People Get Wrong
Is it worth the trip?
If you find yourself in Dubai, honestly, yes. It's a cliché for a reason.
The best time to go is definitely right before sunset. You get to see the city in the daylight, watch the sun drop into the ocean, and then see the desert lights flicker on. It’s a bit surreal. You can see the shadows of the building stretching for miles across the city.
One thing to keep in mind: the Dubai Mall is right at the base. It’s one of the largest malls in the world, and it’s basically the gateway to the Burj. You’ll probably get lost at least three times trying to find the entrance to the "At the Top" elevators. Just follow the signs and give yourself an extra 20 minutes.
Practical tips for visiting:
- Book in advance: If you try to buy tickets at the door, they are way more expensive, and usually, the good time slots are sold out.
- Check the weather: Sometimes a thick fog rolls into Dubai. It looks cool—like the building is floating in the clouds—but you won't see any of the city below.
- The Fountain Show: After you come down, stay for the fountain show at the base. It’s choreographed to music and looks incredible from the ground level looking up at the tower.
The biggest skyscraper in the world isn't just about height. It's about showing off what humans can do when we have enough money and enough steel. Whether the Jeddah Tower eventually takes the title or not, the Burj Khalifa changed the way we think about cities. It proved that "up" has no real limit.
To make the most of your visit, aim for a "Prime Hour" ticket between 4:00 PM and 6:30 PM. This gives you the full transition from day to night. Also, download the official Burj Khalifa app before you go; it has an augmented reality feature that identifies the buildings you're looking at from the observation deck, which is much better than trying to squint at a paper map.