As the Burj Khalifa – the erstwhile Burj Dubai,  prepares to open on January 4, 2010 to coincide with the Accession Day of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, we present a brief summary of the rise of the Burj Khalifa – from its humble beginnings in the sand near Shaikh Zayed Road, to its dominating presence in the Dubai skyline.

Emaar Properties announced the plans for Burj Dubai in February 2003, and in January – 2004, excavation work began for what would become the tallest building in the world.

The Burj, upon completion will meet all four criteria listed by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), which classifies the world's tallest structures. The council measures height to the structural top, the highest occupied floor, to the top of the roof and to the tip of the spire, pinnacle, antenna, mast or flag pole.

More than 5,000 consultants and skilled construction workers were employed onsite, and the world's fastest high-capacity construction hoists, with a speed of up to two metres per second were installed to move men and materials.

Next year i.e. 2005 saw a deal signed with Giorgio Armani to open The Armani Hotel & Residences inside the tower.

April 2006 - the tower takes shape as it approaches the 50 level mark.

The tower reached 100 levels in January 2007. A month later it surpassed the Sears Tower in Chicago as the building with the most floors in the world.

Burj Khalifa became the tallest building in the world in just 1,276 days.

Early 2008 - Burj Khalifa becomes the world's tallest building and tallest man-made structure, having surpassed the height of the KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota, USA.

In May 2008, the Burj recorded another global first with the installation of glass panels at a height of 512 metres.

November 2009 - The last high-altitude crane used in the tower's construction is dismantled.

Burj Khalifa anchors Downtown Burj Dubai, a Dh73 billion ($20 billion) mixed-use mega project, already a bustling community described as the new 'HEART OF THE CITY'.