World's tallest building inaugurated

2010-01-05 18:49 BJT

Special Report: World’s Tallest Building Burj Khalifa Tower |

Dubai has inaugurated the world's tallest skyscraper. The Burj Khalifa is a bold feat on the world stage, given the emirate's shaky financial footing.

Dubai's ruler opened the record-making building with a fireworks display and light show. The 1.5-billion US dollar tower reaches 828-meters or 200-storeys. It surpasses the next highest inhabited building, Taiwan's Taipei 101, by more than 300-meters.

The tower's opening comes at a tough time for Dubai's economy. Its oil rich neighbor and UAE capital Abu Dhabi has pumped billions of dollars in bailout funds into the emirate as it struggles to pay its debts. Meanwhile, property prices in the emirate have collapsed, dropping by nearly half over the past year.

Editor: Zhang Ning | Source: CCTV.com