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Saturday 13 March 2010 (UAE)
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Burj Dubai Observation Deck - At The Top, tel 0800-28843867
The Burj Khalifa "At The Top" observation deck has been closed indefinitely from 07 February 2010. Date of reopening unknown (but might reopen Sunday 15 February 2010 still closed as of 08 March 2010). Ticket refunds or rebooking available from the Burj Khalifa counter at The Dubai Mall. Dubai media reports quoted an Emaar spokesperson as saying "Due to unexpected high traffic, the observation deck experience at the Burj Khalifa, At the Top, has been temporarily closed for maintenance and upgrade. Technical issues with the power supply are being worked on by the main and sub-contractors and the public will be informed upon completion."
A Gulf News report 09 February 2010 reported that one of the visitors at the time the observation deck was shut down, Michael Timms from the USA, said "I was walking around the observation deck when I heard this really loud noise and what looked like smoke or dust coming out from one of the elevator doors."
Some visitors have managed to sneak onto the closed observation deck however.
- Lord Peter Mandelson, UK Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills; and Mr Abdulla Lahej, Executive Director, Dubai Project Management, Emaar Properties, visited on or about 16 February 2010.
- Mr Barry E. Wilmore and Dr Robert L. Satcher Jr, two NASA astronauts, visited At The Top on or about 27 February 2010, aided in their exploration of the tower by some of the management team GEMS Education and Emaar Properties.
The Burj Dubai (renamed as the Burj Khalifa on 04 January 2010) has an observation deck on the 124th floor, with the complete experience called "At The Top", which sounds better than the more accurate but clumsy sounding "A Bit Over Halfway To The Top " (the Burj Dubai has another 36 floors above the observation deck). Getting to the observation deck of the Burj Dubai will not be just a matter of pulling up outside in your Toyota Corolla and catching the elevator up. The whole experience starts at The Dubai Mall nearby, where you buy a ticket, catch a travelator to the Burj Dubai, and then take the elevator to floor 124. Along the way will be displays about Dubai and the Dubai Tower, also a photo opportunity stop near the base of the skyscraper.
- Floor 124 is the observation deck with 360° views of Dubai, and an outdoor deck where you can better experience the tower swaying in the wind.
- Travelator is 65m long. Elevator is a double deck container and travels about 10 meters per second. Journey time from ground to 124th floor takes about 1 minute.
- Total journey time about 45 minutes (or longer if you linger)
- Telescopes available to check out who's on the beach
- Height of the At The Top observation deck is about 450m.
The official opening date of the Burj Dubai tower is 04 January 2009, and "At The Top" is open to the public from 05 January 2009.
Burj Khalifa observation deck ticket prices
When the Burj Khalifa first opened, queues to obtain At The Top tickets were quite long (about an hour wait). Try going early in the morning to avoid queueing when buying your tickets. The ticket desk opens at 0930.
| Adults | Children | < 3 years old | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advance bookings (also online, telephone) | AED 100 | AED 75 | free |
| On site purchase for immediate entry | AED 210 400 | AED 400 | AED 400 |
Burj Dubai observation deck opening times
| Sunday-Wednesday | Thursday-Saturday | |
|---|---|---|
| Opening hours | 1000-2200 (10am-10pm) | 1000-2400 (10am-midnight) |
| Last tour starts | 2115 (9:15pm) | 2315 (11:15 pm) |
Burj Dubai Observation Deck experience
There are 10 parts to the observation deck trip.
- Start at The Dubai Mall where you buy tickets, and watch LED displays of the Burj Dubai.
- Reception area in Dubai Mall has a large scale model of the Burj Dubai
- Dubai Now And Then - part one of the travelator trip from the Dubai Mall to the Burj Dubai, with the story of Dubai and the Burj Dubai
- Burj Dubai Skylight viewing point part way along the travelator journey for a photo opportunity of the Burj Dubai
- From the Vision to Reality - the remainder of the travelator journey, show about the making of the Burj Dubai
- Elevator trip to 124th floor.
- Walk around, floor to ceiling glass, 360 degree views, go outside to the open-air deck
- Super duper telescopes that show Dubai at night or day, past or future, whatever the weather (well, that's what the press release said).
- Return trip to The Dubai Mall
- At The Top boutique at the end for Burj Dubai souvenir shopping.
At the time of the press release (22 September 2009) announcing the observation deck experience, The Dubai Mall website had the Burj Dubai Observation Deck experience listed as "Experience124" or "Experience 124". Not clear if the name has changed or both will be used.
At The Top events and news
- 07 February 2010 - At The Top observation deck closed indefinitely due to "technical issues with the power supply"
- 11 January 2010 - Gulf News reported that 14 people were stuck for an hour in an elevator on the way to the observation deck. Emaar Properties said the elevator was "briefly stalled". It is not known if the trapped visitors agreed that the lift had stopped "briefly"
- 05 January 2010 - first day of public access to the Burj Khalifa observation deck. Immediate access entry price changed from AED 210 to AED 400 per person.
- 04 January 2010 - opening ceremony for the Burj Dubai, at which it was revealed to have changed its name to the Burj Khalifa.
Burj Khalifa At The Top contact details
- Tel 800-ATTHETOP (800-28843867) toll-free in the UAE, or telephone (international and local) +971-4-8888124
- Email tickets@atthetop.ae
Last update Tuesday 09-Mar-2010
Related pages
- Burj Dubai tower - general information
- Activities in Dubai - stuff to do before, after, or instead of a Burj Dubai trip
- Dubai tourist guide - stuff to do for tourists
Related websites (new window)
- tickets.atthetop.ae - buy tickets online for "At The Top"
- www.atthetop.ae - website for the Burj Khalifa "At The Top" experience, which forwards visitors to the observation deck page on the Burj Khalifa website.
- Dubai directory - add your link free