By Kelly Crane, Senior Reporter tabloid www.gulfnews.com

Dubai: Ever the gentleman, Tom Cruise opened the Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol press conference in Dubai by thanking the royal family.

    *  Image Credit: Getty Images     * Actors Tom Cruise, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg and Anil Kapoor attend a photocall ahead of the "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" Press Conference during the 8th Annual Dubai International Film Festival held on the 124th floor of the Burj Khalifa on December 7, 2011 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
* Image Credit: Getty Images * Actors Tom Cruise, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg and Anil Kapoor attend a photocall ahead of the "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" Press Conference during the 8th Annual Dubai International Film Festival held on the 124th floor of the Burj Khalifa on December 7, 2011 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The Hollywood actor refused any questions and instead opened proceedings with nothing but praise for His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai — the city which Cruise says he had seen on a flight layover and knew he wanted to work in.

“The warmth and hospitality shown throughout shooting and the whole time we were here was a wonderful experience,” said Cruise, at a press conference on Wednesday morning at the top of the building he famously dangled from — the Burj Khalifa — inside, of course.

“Watching the city being built, I was on a layover once – refuelling here – and every time I’ve been, I’ve wanted to film here. It’s a beautiful city, a very cinematic city. The way it’s set up – it’s incredibly modern, an extraordinary accomplishment.”

Speaking about his famous stunt on the Burj Khalifa last October during filming, he said a lot of preparation went into what appeared to be death-defying leaps. More info