On Monday, 4th January, the £1-billion Burj Khalifa of Dubai was finally declared open amidst a spectacular display of sound, light, water and fireworks. Not only has it surpassed Taipei 101 in Taiwan by more than 1000ft in height, it has also set all kinds of new records, the details of which we will not be able to fit into this space. The ongoing fanfare almost made one forget that parent Dubai World is choking with a $59bil debt crisis. People booked in advance to buy Dh100 tickets for an ear-popping ride to the top, which was not about stepping into a high speed elevator and pressing ‘floor 124’ to get to the sun deck. The crowds are let in every 30 minutes. The reception area offers two multimedia presentations glorifying the Burj as one waits for a ride on the 65 meter long travellator, which educates further about the city’s history with more multimedia displays. Special music composed by Canada’s Katia Makdissi-Warren plays on. This ride ends in the sunlit atrium and one has now to ride up on a long escalator, all the while gathering more info on construction woes, hurdles and inspirations. Finally it is the turn of the high-speed elevator that takes all of 60 seconds to reach the 124th floor. You guessed it – there are LED displays and foot-wide monitors in the lift too. The stunning effect of the view is much to talk about. There is also the option of shopping at this height, to sooth jangling nerves before heading earthwards.