Dubai: World's tallest tower closed to public a month after opening

Worlds biggest phallic symbol .

shit happens!

The Burj Tower was to have been a Great Achievement in the History of Mankind. Then Dubai's economy collapsed, and with it a view of Dubai, and then, when the topless tower was finally unveiled, in a land now littered with idle cranes and half-completed buildings, it did not make much of an impression. A story, here and there, but only for a day, and then it was on to the next thing. And that was the great tower, the great emblem, of Dubai as a World Economic Power.

But suppose there had been no economic collapse. Suppose the Tower did not have to be named, as it did have to be named, after the ruling family of Abu Dhabi, who lent the money that got Abu Dhabi out of its last crisis, but may not be lending more for the next one. What did that Dubai tower mean? What does it tell us about the state of the Arabs and Muslims, in building a grand new civilization based on the fabulous sums they have taken in?

Consider who built the tower. The architect was German - or was he Austrian? The main contractor was, as so often in the Arab oil states, South Korean. The ordinary workmen were ill treated, essentially working under the conditions of slaves. Their wretched treatment, the miserable sums they receive from rapacious and cruel employers, who so often withhold sums or find ways to cheat those at that level, who cannot fight back and are hopelessly dependent, has been written about before. See, for example, the article by Johann Hari in "The Independent." The squalidness of the vulgar luxury, of which the Dubai authorities (and no doubt other Gulf Arabs) are so inordinately proud, is comical, an offense against good taste every which way one looks. That hasn't kept the kind of press that covers the Arab states from descending upon Dubai at intervals. These people are a little like the bought-and-paid-for movie reviewer who, after his latest junket, gives a glowing review to some obvious Hollywood trash. They ooh and ahh over Dubai's great achievements, which achievements consist entirely in the ability to take money and to put it into skyscrapers, which are supposed to then earn great respect.

they need a lot more viagra, stat.

i guess there's much more sand digging to do!!

typical.

more 'wretched excess' brought to us compliments of big oil and greed

What a waste! Just so 'he' can say mine's bigger than yours......

"Dubai struggles to revive its international image as a cutting-edge Arab metropolis amid nagging questions about its financial health."

If this were true they'd already have banana trees growing on all the roofs and the state-shaped islands would be handcrafted by locals to a) boost the local economy by creating jobs and b) save probably millions on fuel.

I'm so tired of lying to oneself, whether it be some girl thinking he wont cheat on her again, some fat teenager thinking skinny pants look good on them, or countries pretending to be cutting edge when it looks suspiciously like the backdrop of Miami Vice. The 1980's television show. I bet there's as much cocaine as there was in the 80s, too.

Many ironies here, sad ones. Reminds me of "kenny boy," G. W. "the torture president" Bush's name of affection toward his political campaigns' biggest contributor, Lay (Ley?) the president & CEO of pyramid con job "enron corporation."

Lay however it's spelled, the smartest guy in the room had just acquired "Solarex" photovoltaic panels (modules they call then in the industry) manufacturing plants and was on the verge of really hitting the ground running in converting the US and world to a new post fossil fuel age.

Dubai was like Lay in the process of switching their whole city-state over to clean alternative solar energy, since what they have most in natural resources, is sunshine year round.

Thats what happens when you build a building when there is no actual demand for it. Dubai is almost empty city if you were to take out all the laborers on contract out of the country. The majority of the people in the city are foreign workers on contract there to build buildings.

Buildings for who?!

They acted on the whole premise that people wanted to go to Dubai in the first place, when people aren't really that interested in going and staying there.

Its just like this in Brickell in Downtown Miami. A whole lot of buildings went up during the Real Estate Bubble and now they are just sitting there empty with no tenants, gathering dust. Downtown Brickell is virtually a ghost town at night.

I mean, come on, Dubai has a male to female ratio that is very unbalanced, with 70% of the population who is male. Dubai is more hype than anything else...

They're preparing for the dollar crash. We should be preparing for it too, but most American just refuse to believe that this is happening right now just as we speak.

Beautiful city. A shame such expense when into the construction, only for it to be closed after the much anticipated opening. Was there back in August before its completion. I'm sure they will work the kinks out.

I would hardly call it "unexpected" .

I wouldn't be too surprised if there was a "terrorist" attack which ends up in a huge insurance payment being made to the owners.

This is scary if youthink about it. Surethey are claiming that it is electrical, butwhat if the contractors were sleazy and the building supplies were inferior.
This may sound crazy but u never really know. The building is very beautiful though. I would love to take a tour but not until they work the kinks out of being half a mile high.

Guess who's #1 again, baby?!

GO CANADA! XD

Another Babylon Tower. I just woke up from a 10 year coma. Things don't seem to be going well.

Well That is just lame if your going to build a monster at least do it right didn't they see frankenstein if you don't do it right it comes back to haunt you.

i'm not surprised that there are issues already.

that building was unethically constructed and their goal to be #1 is completely ridiculous. ...their fake islands, indoor ski place, and they don't give a shit if a woman is raped.

isn't one of those man-made islands sinking??
anyone want to point out the real glamour?