Khaleej Times

It took an army of workers and thousands of tonnes of material to erect the world tallest tower in Dubai, but Steven J. Backman managed to replicate it single-handedly in the US.

The 2014 Fifa World Cup was showcased on the 123rd floor of the world’s tallest building – the Burj Khalifa – when official partner Visa, put on show the symbol of world soccer supremacy during a special presentation. The initiative to showcase soccer’s biggest prize is one of several events being hosted by Visa to promote the sport within the GCC.

Thousands of energy-efficient decorative lights have started shining along the three-km long Emaar Boulevard, Downtown Dubai, which will continue through the entire festival season, including the UAE National Day celebrations, Emirates Classic Car Festival, New Year’s Eve and the Dubai Shopping Festival, up until April 2012.

Jaeyho Lee’s Chorus draws inspiration from the flow, movement and rhythm of a group of people gathering in South Korea's Gwanghwamun Square.

Polish unicyclist Krystian Herba, the new world record holder of Stairs Climbing By Bicycle, hopes to conquer Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower measuring 828 metres, next year. “After going to Burj Khalifa today, I have this desire to climb it as soon as I get more information about it,” Kyrstian said.

The clutches and accessories too sported the crescent theme, which was more of a tribute by Armani to his special project in Dubai – the world’s first Armani Hotel.

A few days after its first anniversary, the Burj Khalifa, is inspiring a similar structure in China. The People’s Daily, in a report on Thursday, said the proposed $1.3 billion tower (the Burj cost an estimated $1.5 billion to build) would come up in Mentougou district of the capital and would house a seven-star hotel.

Two aerobatics teams participating in this year’s Al Ain Aerobatic Show have made a spectacular fly-past over the southern emirates at the start of the second day of the internationally acclaimed event. At 9.50am, the seven L-39 Albatros Breitling Team jets joined forces with the four BAC 167 Strikemasters of Team Viper, flying over Al Ain before heading towards Dubai. They passed over Burj Khalifa and Atlantis Hotel and then headed to the coast of Abu Dhabi, circling over the Emirates Palace Hotel and Grand Mosque and finally returning to Al Ain.

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced that the Dubai Metro, comprising the Red and Green lines, has posted high ridership rates last April, clocking 13,879,636 passengers, which compares well with the ridership recorded during the same period last year amounting to 11,298,414 riders.

Sculptured by Syrian artist Lutfi Romhein, ‘Together’ features an Arab couple dressed in the iconic white dish-dasha and black kandoora in typical Emirati style, made from Italian Carrara marble and Swedish black granite. Commissioned by the owner of the Courtyard Gallery, Samia Saleh, the 4.25 metre-high sculpture rest on a granite base, near the entrance to Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.