Burj Khalifa turns 15: Top moments from the Dubai landmark's life

There are some structures that are so integral to the fabric of a city that they become representations of it. For Dubai, that landmark structure is the 828-metre tall Burj Khalifa, which can be seen from 60 miles away. The glass-and-steel giant’s construction began in 2004, and when it opened in 2010, it had already surpassed many world records, including that of the tallest building and with one of the fastest double-deck elevators.

From turning into a gigantic billboard supporting light shows to becoming the star of a Mission Impossible movie, here are 15 cool moments from the life of the Burj Khalifa.

When it became an Instagram star

There are many reasons why the Burj Khalifa is impressive — it’s the tallest in the world, the holder of many world records, and it looks great in photographs. Especially during a storm. When there’s a particularly ferocious rain event complete with thunder and lightning, you can often see a spark striking the building itself. Fortunately, the building has a lightning protection system, with 18 lightning rods to safeguard against electrical storms. No harm done. Still looks cool, though.

2010: The debut

While we all saw the sky-piercer taking shape, when it was finally revealed on January 4, 2010, it made headlines across the globe. The world watched in fascination as Dubai sparked hope with this obvious sign of recovery from the 2008-09 financial crash. The tallest building in the world was here.

2010: Epic fireworks

Every year, the spectacle gets grander, and the cheery crowd gets louder on New Year’s Eve at Burj Khalifa. But the tradition began when the building was first launched. By the time 2023 came around, we had 828m of fireworks, 2,500 firing directions, 287 firing positions and 4,000 watts of lasers as part of the display.

2011: Mission possible, says Tom Cruise

Burj Khalifa has featured in a number of movies over the years, but the one which made the most impact was the 2011 Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. Actor Tom Cruise, who is known for doing his own stunts, scaled and hung off the side of the Burj Khalifa during a sequence that left audiences worldwide in awe. He performed the stunt at a height of about 1,700 feet off the ground.

2011: Spiderman comes calling

If it’s tall, it must be climbed, apparently. Alain Robert, aka French Spiderman, decided to scale the building in 2011. He took six hours to climb the glass façade. He was, unusually, using a rope and harness. “I know that sometimes there may be some specific requirements,” he told Reuters before the climb. “I do understand. You know, this is such an iconic building so I can understand that even though they are taking care so much about my precious life, they are also taking care a lot of that precious Burj Khalifa.”

2014: Major jump

Would you sign up to jump off the tallest building in the world? And as you feel gravity exerting ever more effort, would you have the mental headspace to try and glide your way down? French daredevils Fred Fugen and Vince Reffet took the questions quite literally in 2014, deciding to undertake the highest base jump from a building. The duo, whose jump was organised by Skydive Dubai, spent a week training in Switzerland by base jumping off Lauterbrunnen mountain, which is similar in height to the Burj Khalifa.

2015: Most romantic building

The accolades keep coming. The tower is named the world’s best attraction for 2015 by international online ticket sales site Attractiontix. It’s eateries including At.mosphere and its observation, At the Top were draws. Burj was also named most romantic attractions on the list where it featured alongside France’s Eiffel Tower, and the US’s Empire State Building.

2020: You are invited to a gender reveal

One Arab YouTube influencer couple upped the gender reveal game this year. Anas and Asala Marwah revealed the gender of their second born by displaying it on the Burj Khalifa (which turned neon for the announcement). A 15-minute video was made of the Syrian-Canadian couple’s big moment, and it blew up on social media. (It was a boy, in case you were wondering).

2020: Sheikh Hamdan climbs to the top

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, enjoys physical challenges, and one of the trails he undertook was all the way to the top of Burj Khalifa. Harnessed to its spire, 828 metres high, Sheikh Hamdan took a video clip and shared it with his social media fans. Other A-listers who’ve made it to the top include Will Smith and Mr Beast.

2020: Part of gaming

You can’t situate a story on the big screen without showing some iconic spots. When it comes to Dubai, that place is the Burj Khalifa. This year, the building found itself standing tall in games like Microsoft Flight Simulator and Assassin’s Creed Origins, thanks to its stunning CGR.

2021: An Emirates announcement