Burj Al Alam

Burj Al Alam was a proposed skyscraper located in the Business Bay area of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Designed to rise 108 stories and reach a height of around 510 meters (1,670 feet), the tower was planned as a mixed-use development featuring office space, retail areas, a hotel, and serviced apartments. Its architectural design, inspired by a crystal flower and Arabian rose, was created by Japanese firm Nikken Sekkei and aimed to be an iconic hyperboloid structure with a fluted, slender waist.

The building would have included 74 floors of office space, with the top 27 floors dedicated to a 200-room 5-star hotel and 104 serviced apartments, making it home to some of the highest hotel rooms in the world. Its six-story crown was to feature luxury amenities such as a sky garden, rooftop spa, Turkish bath, private club facilities, viewing decks, and a helipad.

Groundbreaking occurred in November 2006 with an initial completion target around 2009; however, the project faced significant delays due to financial difficulties and the global recession. Construction halted shortly after foundation piling was completed, around 2009, and the site showed no further activity after 2010.

Eventually, the partially excavated foundation pit was filled in and leveled, and the tower was never completed. Had it been finished, Burj Al Alam would have been one of the tallest commercial towers in the world and a landmark addition to Dubai's rapidly evolving skyline. The project was undertaken by the Fortune Group, which has been involved in other major developments in Dubai.

Despite its ambitious vision and initial progress, Burj Al Alam remains an unbuilt symbol of Dubai's pre-recession real estate boom and subsequent challenges.