The Burj Khalifa

The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building on Earth. It stands 2,717 feet tall, which is over half a mile high! It has 163 floors and took about six years to build. The building is shaped like a desert flower and narrows as it goes up, like a giant silver needle.

Record-Breaking Height

The Burj Khalifa is so tall that people on the top floors can see the sun set a few minutes later than people on the ground. It is about twice as tall as the Empire State Building. The elevators travel at 33 feet per second, which is one of the fastest in the world. On a clear day, you can see for 60 miles from the top.

Inside the Tower

The Burj Khalifa is not just an office building. It has apartments, a hotel, restaurants, and an outdoor swimming pool on the 76th floor. The building uses enough concrete to fill about 4 Olympic swimming pools. Special window-washing machines take three to four months to clean all the glass on the outside.

Fun Facts

• About 12,000 workers helped build the Burj Khalifa every day during construction.
• The tower has about 24,000 windows that take a team of cleaners several months to wash.
• The tip of the Burj Khalifa can be seen from 60 miles away.

Did You Know?

The Burj Khalifa collects water from the humid air outside. This water is used to help irrigate the gardens around the building, saving about 15 million gallons of water a year!