Dubai. Part two. Skyscrapers of Dubai

In Dubai, there are two main complexes of skyscrapers. The first one is located next to Burj Khalifa, surrounding it, and extends in a uniform corridor on both sides of Sheikh Zayed Road — the city’s main transportation artery.

Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. Its height reaches 828 meters. It is said that during the construction of the tower, its height was kept secret to prevent anyone from accidentally building a taller structure. However, in Saudi Arabia, there are plans to surpass Dubai’s achievement and exceed a kilometer in height by constructing the Royal Tower in the city of Jeddah.

The city has a lot of open-air skyscrapers. Many of them have observation decks with bars. Café and bar on the rooftop of the Four Points Building. Free entry.

View from the tower.

Swimming pool in the neighboring building.

Helipad.

Old town. Here, mainly Pakistani workers live.

Evening.

The sun sets behind the Persian Gulf.

The lights turn on.

Nearby, there is the Shangri-La Tower, with a fitness center located on the top floor. Similarly, you can freely go up to the last floor and ask the trainer working there to take a photo of Burj Khalifa. The staff in Dubai is kind and responsive; here, a European service culture has already been established. They allow entry without any problems.

From the tower, there is a nice view of the interchange and Burj Khalifa.

Not all towers have restaurants, but it’s not a problem. The roofs of most skyscrapers are accessible. You can simply take the elevator to the top floor, exit onto the fire escape, and walk up to the top to access the rooftop through the door.

Next to Burj Dubai Metro, there is the Al Hikma Tower, where the roof of the first building is open. In the 50-story skyscraper, only half of the floors are currently open, so I had to climb the stairs from the 21st floor. Twice. In the morning and in the evening. But the view was worth it.

The roof is purely technical, with a high parapet and rails for crane movement along the entire perimeter.

There was a small ladder on the roof, which I brazenly took, placed it against the parapet, set up a tripod on it, pointed it towards Burj Khalifa, and started waiting for the sunset.

A Pakistani man comes out. It seems like he didn’t notice me. He entered the elevator room. I quickly jumped off the parapet and hid around the corner. I thought, should I leave before he sees me? No way, I came here to capture the sunset, and I don’t have another free day. I hung my belongings on the door handle so that he wouldn’t accidentally lock it, climbed back onto the parapet, and continued shooting.

After half an hour, the Pakistani man came out of the elevator and saw me. And I saw him. We looked at each other, and I waved my hand, saying, “Hello!” He smiled back and replied, “Hello.” After some fumbling, he approached me while I was sitting on the ledge with my tripod, and we engaged in a rather pleasant conversation:

“Are you taking photos?”
“Yeah. The view from here is unreal.”
“Awesome. Did you inform the security?”
“Mmm... no.”
“Uh, how come?” — Surprise appears on his face.
“Well, I didn’t think about it. Can I stay here? If not, I’ll immediately climb down and leave.”
“Hmm. No, it’s fine. Go ahead and shoot.”
“Cool!”
“How long will you be here?”
“About an hour.”
“Alright. Be careful.”
“Yes, I will. Thank you. Have a good evening!”
“You too.”

The workers here don’t care about anything. Probably even the security would have let me in if I had asked. What restrictions could there be in a city with an absolute minimum of crimes and crazy drivers on the roads? No one even thinks about protecting the rooftop of a skyscraper.

Panorama of Burj Khalifa and the surrounding skyscrapers. Mostly these are hotels.

In the distance, a sail gleams — the most luxurious seven-star hotel.

Artificial islands can be seen in the sea in the distance. All these intricacies with landfills shaped like palms and continents are due to the straight coastline. The housing by the sea is the most expensive, and Dubai’s coastline is completely straight, so there is limited natural shoreline. It necessitates the creation of artificial structures.

Glass block.

Next to the Khalifa, there is an artificial canal that transforms into a water show every half hour, known as the singing fountains.

Skyscrapers on Sheikh Zayed Highway at night. A black vein amidst golden roads is the metro.

Night in the old town.

Dubai Marina

The second complex of skyscrapers. A large yacht marina. Elite high-rises are located along the banks of an artificial waterway.

Small boats.

At night.

View of Dubai Marina from Palm Jumeirah.