The world’s tallest building, formally known as Burj Dubai, celebrated a massive debut party Monday with thousands of attendees and a surprising change of name announcement.
The new name is ‘Burj Khalifa’ and honors the president of the United Arab Emirates and emir of Abu Dhabi, Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan, according to the fashionable Sheik Mohammed, ruler of Dubai, who made the stunning announcement at the Times Square-on-New Year’s-style shindig. It is perhaps the most expensive naming rights deal in history and likely a reward for Abu Dhabi’s $10 billion bailout of Dubai in December after the emirate admitted it was struggling to deal with more than $80 billion of debt, reports the Wall Street Journal.
This must be one of heck of a guy to be compared to the grandiose spire shaped building that soars to a record-shattering height of 828 meters. On a clear day, the tower boasts views of the Arabian Gulf to Iran.
