Why is the Burj Khalifa called the Burj Khalifa?

Until the evening it opened, 4 January 2010, the tower was called Burj Dubai. "Burj" is Arabic for tower. At the opening ceremony, Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, unveiled a new name. It honoured the leader of the neighbouring emirate, whose money had just helped Dubai through a debt crisis.

The night Burj Dubai became Burj Khalifa

For six years the tower went up as Burj Dubai. Its final height was a closely kept secret, so that no rival could plan something taller. On opening night, a crowd the developer, Emaar, put at more than 400,000 watched fireworks, light beams and the fountains below. Then the number appeared at last: 828 metres, 2,717 feet.

Sheikh Mohammed unveiled the nameplate. "The highest point in the world should be linked to the big names," he said, in Gulf News's translation. The big name was Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of the United Arab Emirates.

Dubai had spent six years building the world's tallest monument to its own name. It opened wearing its neighbour's.

Why Abu Dhabi's ruler got the name

The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates. Abu Dhabi is the largest and holds most of the country's oil. Dubai grew on trade, tourism, property and a great deal of borrowing.

The world financial crisis hit Dubai hard. Within a year, property prices in parts of the city fell by nearly half. In late November 2009, Dubai World, a giant company owned by Dubai's government, asked its lenders to wait six months on about $26 billion of debt. Markets around the world took fright.

On 14 December 2009, Abu Dhabi stepped in with $10 billion. Dubai World used $4.1 billion of it that same day to repay an Islamic bond of Nakheel, its property arm, which had fallen due. Three weeks later, the tallest building on earth carried the name of Abu Dhabi's ruler.

The money did not pay for the tower itself. The Burj Khalifa was built by Emaar, a separate company, and cost about $1.5 billion. Officially, the name honoured the country's president. Almost every report at the time linked it to the rescue.

Sheikh Khalifa was the son of Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's founding president. He led the country from 2004 until his death in May 2022, and the tower still bears his name.

Where to stand

Stand on Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, named after the ruler who announced the name, with the boulevard behind you and the tower straight ahead.

Follow the tower upward from its base. It narrows in 27 setbacks that spiral around it, each a little higher than the last, until the walls give way to the spire.

Hear it where it happened

The Trevlo tour of the Burj Khalifa tells this story on the boulevard, its first stop. Then it goes to the tower's entrance, the covered walkway into Dubai Mall, the Dubai Fountain promenade and the bridge to Souk Al Bahar. Five stops, about twenty-six minutes of listening, at your own pace.

The first stop is free to play on this page, and your first tour in the app is free.