Dubai has always had a great affinity for tall structures, with skyscrapers popping up all over the city throughout its peak developmental years. The newest planned addition to the Dubai skyline will be no different, set to stand at 928 metres, 100 metres taller than the current tallest building in the world.

The Tower, image via Emaar Properties

Designed by Spanish-Swiss architect Santiago Calatrava and developed by Emaar Properties, the new structure named The Tower at Dubai Creek is planned as the centrepiece for a new district on the banks of the Dubai Creek Harbour, in close proximity to the wildlife sanctuary at Ras Al Khor. Being built on an area twice as big as Downtown Dubai, the entire development will include two kilometres of waterfront space, 679 million square metres of residential space, 851,000 square metres of commercial space, and 22 hotels. 

The Tower will be supported by cables, making them the longest cables in the world used to support a structure, and will house a hotel, gardens, a 360-degree observation deck, and restaurants.

Construction on this project is targeted for completion in 2019, in time for the 2020 Expo in Dubai. Its construction will be separated into three projects assigned to three separate contractors, one of which will be responsible for the piling work, one for the concrete base, and one for the steel and cable work.

The Tower, image via Emaar Properties

The Tower is shorter than the kilometre-high Jeddah Tower planned in Saudi Arabia, but it will be higher than the Burj Khalifa when built. However, it is unlikely to be classified as a tall building since according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, 50% of the building has to consist of usable space and The Tower will not fulfill that criteria.

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