Armani Residences to be handed over first followed by The Residences and The Corporate Suites

Dubai, UAE; December 31, 2009: Burj Dubai, the world's tallest building by Emaar Properties, will receive its first residents as early as February 2010. They will be the first of over 12,000 people who will live and work in the mixed-use tower comprising luxurious apartments, prime office space and the world's first Armani Hotel, amongst other modern lifestyle amenities.

Following the inauguration of Burj Dubai on January 4, 2010 to mark the fourth anniversary of the Accession Day of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum as the Ruler of Dubai, Emaar will immediately take charge of the property from various consultants, contractors and suppliers. From January 5, the public can access At The Top, Burj Dubai, the world's highest observation deck on Level 124 of the tower.

The planned hand-over to residents of Burj Dubai will begin in February, 2010. The luxurious Armani Residences on levels 9 to 16 will open their doors first, to be followed by the much-awaited Armani Hotel Dubai, which occupies the concourse to Level 8 and Levels 38 & 39, to be unveiled to guests in March. 

The Residences, comprising 900 apartments, and The Corporate Suites, a collection of high-end offices, will be handed over to customers from March. The handover programme can take anywhere from two to six months.

An orientation programme for customers is currently ongoing, taking them through the Burj Dubai lifestyle experience that awaits them. Emaar has also written to all of its customers to inform them of the handover schedules, as the interiors of homes and offices receive their finishing touches.

Mr. Abdulla Lahej, Executive Director, Dubai Project Management, Emaar Properties, said the delivery of the various components of Burj Dubai had been carefully structured to accommodate as smoothly as possible the expected tower population of more than 12,000 people, adding that phased delivery is normal practice for a project of this magnitude.

The first homes to be occupied at Burj Dubai, at the Armani Residences Dubai, reflect the individual style of the designer - Giorgio Armani. The 144 one and two-bedroom apartments have an understated elegance and artfully combine form, space and lighting, and use furnishings that focus on the compatibility of materials.

The Residences at Burj Dubai are 900 studio, one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments spread over levels 19 to 108. Facilities for residents include upmarket gourmet convenience stores - The Gourmet Market - and a meeting place. Valet parking is also provided for guests and visitors.

For the added convenience of home owners, Burj Dubai features Sky Lobbies on levels 43, 76 and 123 which offer numerous state-of-the-art fitness facilities close at hand including spa and wellness facilities. The Sky Lobbies on 43 and 76 each house swimming pools and a recreational room for exclusive receptions and other gatherings.

The Corporate Suites inside Burj Dubai occupy 37 floors. Entrance is from the tower concourse, and express lifts take visitors directly to the lounge lobby at Level 123.

With a height of more than 800 metres (2,625 ft), Burj Dubai is the world's tallest building and has 160 storeys - the most floors in any building in the world.

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About Burj Dubai:
A mixed-use tower featuring the world's first Armani Hotel Dubai and Armani Residences, alongside corporate suites, residences, retail and leisure facilities, Burj Dubai is at the centre of Downtown Burj Dubai, a 500-acre mega-development by Emaar Properties. Among an array of lifestyle amenities, the tower will have a public observation deck - At the Top, Dubai - on level 124.

Described as the new heart of Dubai, Downtown Burj Dubai encompasses The Dubai Mall, one of the world's largest shopping and entertainment destinations; several hotels; offices and homes. A stellar attraction within the community is The Dubai Fountain, the world's tallest performing fountain.

At over 800 metres, the Burj Dubai has already achieved the distinction of being the world's tallest structure surpassing the KVLY-TV mast (628.8 metres; 2,063 ft) in North Dakota, USA. The tower is taller than Taipei 101 in Taiwan, which at 508 metres (1,667 ft) has held the tallest-building-in-the-world title since it opened in 2004. Burj Dubai also surpassed the 31-year-old record of CN Tower, which at 553.33 metres (1,815.5 ft) has been the world's tallest free-standing structure on land since 1976.

Designed by Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), Burj Dubai is constructed by high-rise experts South Korea's Samsung Corporation. New York-based Turner Construction International is the project and construction manager. The tower employs the latest in wind engineering, structural engineering, structural systems, construction materials and construction methods.

About Emaar Properties PJSC:
Emaar Properties PJSC, listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is a global property developer with a significant presence in key markets world-wide. Besides building residential and commercial properties, the company also has proven competencies in shopping malls & retail, hospitality & leisure, education, healthcare and financial services sectors.

Emaar is set to inaugurate Burj Dubai, the world's tallest building and free-standing structure, and has opened The Dubai Mall, the world's largest shopping and entertainment destination. In Saudi Arabia, Emaar is developing King Abdullah Economic City, the region's largest private sector-led project in Saudi Arabia, featuring a Sea Port, Central Business District, Industrial Zone, Educational Zone, Residential Communities and Resort District.

Emaar has joined hands with Giorgio Armani to strengthen its presence in hospitality. The company is also opening educational institutions and healthcare centres in South Asia, Middle East and North Africa and the Subcontinent.

Emaar holds 30 per cent equity in Dubai Bank, focused on retail and commercial banking. Emaar is also the largest shareholder in Amlak Finance, UAE's leading Islamic home financing company. For more information, visit www.emaar.com.

For more information, please contact:
Kelly Home / Nivine William 
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller; Tel: (+971 4) 334 4550
E-mail: k.home@asdaa.com, n.william@asdaa.com

© Press Release 2009