Movin' On Up

A new year usually means new resolutions. It seems that this year, Dubai resolves to be bigger, better, and more opulent than ever — like that’s even possible.

Even with news about Dubai’s current economic crisis, the unveiling of the 200-storey Burj Khalifa — formerly named Burj Dubai — marks the creation of the tallest building in the world. It’s also beginning to look like the perfect vacation destination for 2010.

According to the creative visionaries of the Burj Dubai, they wanted it to be more than just the world's tallest building. They said that it is “an unprecedented example of international cooperation, symbolic beacon of progress, and an emblem of the new, dynamic and prosperous Middle East.”

Standing at 2,716 feet (almost a kilometre), the Burj Dubai is taller than the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building stacked on top of each other — making it much more than just an average skyscraper. Resembling a futuristic, sci-fi urban dwelling, it could be considered a new world wonder. After sight-seeing (and hopefully not straining your neck in the process), vacationers can take a stroll  through the two malls — Souk Al Bahar and the Dubai Mall, which alone has over 1,200 retail shops — that surround the building.

If an extravagant shopping spree isn’t in your ideal vacation itinerary, there are swimming pools on the 43^rd and 76^th floors. Or, how about drinks at the night club or a spa treatment inside the hotel designed by Georgio Armani? There are even plans to build the world’s highest mosque on the 158^th floor.

People considering buying a nice home-away-from-home in a different place can also choose from the 1,044 luxury apartments in the Burj Khalifa.

— Kate Aenlle