Burj Khalifa beckons you to Sky At The Top

October 15, 2014

Dubai, Oct 15: The UAE is well renowned for its limit-pushing feats, and during a sneak preview of Burj Khalifa’s newest attraction on Tuesday, it’s clear even the sky isn’t the limit here.

Ascending a knee-wobbling 555 metres above ground, ‘At The Top Burj Khalifa Sky’ opens to the public today and is the world’s highest observation deck — outgrowing its closest competitor in China by a staggering 67 metres.

Spread across two levels on floors 124 and 148, the new observation decks offer unmatched views of the ever-expanding city, with many calling level 148 the ‘hero’ as it’s now noted as the highest viewing point on earth in a building.

At Tuesday’s unveiling, the world’s tallest building added its seventh string to its record-holding bow and Country Manager for Guinness World Records Talal Omar told Khaleej Times the UAE is setting the benchmark when it comes to record making.

“Burj Khalifa was officially opened in 2010 and since then we’ve seen six records successfully attempted by it in terms of building records. But that has inspired other people to attempt records and since then we’ve seen the highest base jump from Burj Khalifa, as well as the highest building climb from it. I can’t wait to see what’s next.”

Rising 24 floors above the original ‘At The Top’, ‘Sky’ is set to see visitor numbers soar over the next few years and Emaar Properties executive director Ahmad Al Falasi is confident it will see a big increase on last year’s 1.8 million footfall.

“I urge all who live here and visit here to enjoy your bit of the sky,” he said at Tuesday’s preview.

Up, up and away

So what can we expect to see? With a stopover level on 125 hosting 360-degree indoor views, visitors will also get a new video perspective of the city with ‘Dubai — A Falcon’s Eye View’. But for those of you with a stomach to handle another 23 floors up, you won’t be disappointed.

Housing a premium food and drink lounge with panoramic views, level 148 also offers a brand-new, hands-on interactive experience for visitors allowing them to discover iconic destinations in Dubai using a life-size screen and sensory motion technology.

But enjoying the view from a steep height may mean even steeper pricing for some with pre-booked tickets costing Dh400 while immediate entry tickets will set you back Dh500. And it’s a view that just isn’t tempting enough, said British tourist Christopher Read.

“I’ve just been to At the Top and paid Dh125 for the privilege. I think that’s a fair price, so to me Dh400 is a little much and I honestly can’t see the view being all that different.”

But from what he’s seen so far in Dubai, people will always pay for the best, he said.

“I get the attraction though. To say you’ve visited the highest viewing deck in the world is pretty cool so I don’t think they’ll struggle to sell tickets, especially here.”

So if the dizzying prices don’t faze you, why not climb to even dizzier heights and become part of history.

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Israel launches bloody ground offensive into Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp

News Network

May 12,2024

Israeli military tanks have started to go deeper into the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza as part of a ground offensive months after claiming Hamas had been “dismantled” in the area.

Israeli forces are “carpet-bombing” the eastern areas of Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, killing and wounding several Palestinians, Al-Jazeara reported citing local sources on Sunday.

Israeli military tanks have advanced further into the Jabalia refugee camp, crossing Salah al-Din Street amidst ongoing battles with Hamas fighters, reports added.

Media quoted eyewitnesses as saying that the tanks are surrounding evacuation centers and residential buildings in the densely populated area, leading to mass evacuations and displacement towards the western part of Gaza City.

Also, Israeli drones targeted ambulances near the clinic run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Jabalia, according to Mahmoud Basal, the spokesperson for the civil defense directorate in Gaza.

Basal stated that emergency crews in Rafah, al-Zaytounm, al-Sabra, and Jabalia have been inundated with distress calls, confirming that these areas were subjected to overnight bombardment.

Shortage of oxygen for patients

Imad Abu Zayda, an emergency doctor in Jabalia, warned of the critical conditions prevailing there due to the recent Israeli aggression in the area.

“No light due to the lack of fuel and there’s no medical supplement available as Israel has expanded their operation in the area. We have no oxygen to give to patients,” he said.

He added that the majority of those injured are children and women, and the medical team is grappling with limited resources to provide essential care.

All hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip are now out of service, following a warning from the UN about the risk of running out of fuel in hospitals across the region.

Israel’s closure of the Rafah crossing has also prevented aid trucks from entering the area since May 5.

The Jabalia refugee camp, established in 1948 to accommodate Palestinians who were displaced after the Nakba, or catastrophe, which refers to the ethnic cleansing of Palestine in 1948, has become the most densely populated refugee camp in the Gaza Strip.

With over 750,000 Palestinians forcefully displaced, this camp stands as a testament to the birth of Israel in 1948.

Since the start of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, Israeli forces carried out several attacks on Jabilia camp, leaving it in ruins by intense bombardment.

In early February, Israeli forces withdrew from the camp claiming it had destroyed Hamas as a fighting force in the northern areas.

On Saturday, the Israeli military ordered residents of the Jabalia Refugee Camp to evacuate “immediately”, as it prepares to launch military operations against Hamas.

However, the displaced residents have no place to seek refuge, as the UN reports a severe famine in the region.

Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed more than 34,971 Palestinians and injured more than 78,641 others, mostly women and children.

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