The world’s tallest observation wheel is in Dubai!

Ain Dubai, the world’s tallest observation wheel is on Bluewaters Island in Dubai. The wheel is more than 250m tall; that is more than 80m taller than the 167m High Roller in Las Vegas. Ain Dubai is almost double the height of the world’s third tallest observation wheel, the London Eye, which is 135m. Ain Dubai sets the limit of what’s possible with modern engineering and construction.

‘…more than 250m tall…’

The wheel is made of 192 cable wires, totalling 2,400km, the same distance between Dubai and Cairo. The Ain Dubai wheel rim has 192 spoke cables, the weight of the rim is equal to 16 Airbus A380 superjumbos which ensure the structural integrity of the wheel through the process of permanent compression.

‘…rim equals 16 Airbus A380 superjumbos…’

About 9,000 tonnes of steel was used in the construction of the wheel, which is 25% more than the amount of iron used to build the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Around 30 buses could fit inside each leg supporting the wheel, which will carry 48 passenger capsules with a capacity of 1,900 people. The weight of each permanent spoke cable that holds the wheel rim in place is 5 tonnes. Cumulatively the eight steel spokes and rim braces weigh more than 5,000 tonnes.

‘…capacity of 1,900 people…’

Home to Caesars Palace, Caesars Resort and Caesars Residences, Bluewaters Island is accessible from the mainland by a road bridge from Sheikh Zayed Road, as well as a 15 minute walk using a pedestrian bridge from The Beach.

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Standing 828 meters tall, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world.

In a new book Supertall, architect Stefan Al explores the world of skyscrapers and how they affect the way we live; he includes the impact that the world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa has on its inhabitants. We share his interesting findings.

Time

The Burj Khalifa, is so tall that people perceive time differently from the top and bottom floors. It’s so tall that people on the upper floors of the building perceive time differently to those on the lower levels.

‘…perceive time differently…’

Sunset

From the top of the Burj Khalifa, people can view so far into the Arabian Desert that they see the sun set several minutes after people on the ground see it set. This impacts on the Muslim population in the building; the perceived time difference means those living on the higher floors of the Burj Khalifa need to wait a few extra minutes before breaking their fast at sunset during Ramadan. Dubai clerics decided that residents above the 80th floor should wait an additional two minutes to end their Ramadan fasting and those above the 150th floor should wait an additional three minutes.

‘…wait extra minutes before breaking fast…’

Clouds

Standing at 828 meters tall, the Burj Khalifa emerges high above the clouds in Dubai. The building transcends the earth’s local temperature and climate because its upper half occasionally emerges above the clouds, rendering it unaffected by the rain that’s pouring at its base. At the top of the building, the temperature on the outside is thought to be 6°celcius cooler than on the ground. Because air gets cooler the higher you go, you can take advantage of having less air conditioning on the upper levels, because you can use that cooler air as intake.

‘…upper levels unaffected by rain that’s pouring on the lower levels…’

The Burj Khalifa is twice the height of the Empire State Building and far exceeds the scale of anything that’s been built on earth.

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Amazing Dubai Frame.

Dubai Frame opened to the public in January 2018 and quickly became one of the most popular attractions in Dubai and in the UAE. If you’re looking for a great way to spend your day in Dubai, visiting the Dubai Frame should definitely be in your list.

Standing tall at 150 metres, Dubai Frame provides a bird’s eye view of the city’s famous and spectacular skyline, you can views Old and New Dubai and see how the city has transformed to a one of a kind metropolitan.

One of its most amazing features is the state-of-the-art clear glass bridge joining parallel upright towers that create the shape of a picture frame.

‘…state-of-the-art clear glass bridge…’

The Dubai Frame is a must-see!

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