Dubai is home to world’s tallest skyscraper. Now it’s building the second-tallest, too

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Dubai’s super-sized skyline is already home to the world’s tallest skyscraper. Now, it is set to welcome the world’s second tallest, too.

The Burj Azizi broke ground in January this year, but its exact height was not disclosed at the time as its developer awaited approval from Dubai authorities, including the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), which is involved in planning for “supertall” buildings.

On Wednesday, however, real estate firm Azizi Developments announced that its skyscraper will tower over neighboring landmarks — all but one, that is — at a staggering 725 meters (2,379 feet) tall.

“From the outset, we had plans for two designs — one for the initially approved height of 526 meters, and the other for the taller, now-approved 725 meters,” Mirwais Azizi, the founder and chairman of Azizi Developments, told CNN in a written statement.

The developer kept its “options open for both scenarios” when it began preparatory works earlier this year. But with the green light given for the building’s more ambitious proposal, additional work to the foundations and piling is “well underway,” Azizi added.

The 131-story skyscraper will feature apartments, an all-suite “seven-star” luxury hotel and a seven-floor “vertical” shopping mall.

Dubai’s Burj Azizi tower to become world’s second tallest building.

Located on Sheikh Zayed Road, in Dubai’s World Trade Center district, Burj Azizi will still stand almost 340 feet shorter than the 2,717-foot-tall Burj Khalifa, less than two miles away. But it will handily beat local competition for the city’s second-tallest title, exceeding the current holder, Marina 101 (1,394 feet).

Once topped out, it will also exceed the world’s current second-tallest building, Malaysia’s 2,227-foot-tall Merdeka 118.

The tower is anticipated to set several records, including the world’s highest hotel lobby (on level 11), the world’s highest nightclub (on level 126) and the world’s highest observation deck (on level 130), according to Azizi Developments. The developer also said the building will clinch the record for Dubai’s highest restaurant (meaning its 122nd-floor venue will be higher than the Burj Khalifa’s 122nd-floor restaurant, At.mosphere) and the city’s highest hotel room, on the tower’s 118th floor.

In a press release, Azizi said investment in the project has surpassed 6 billion dirham ($1.6 billion).

“My vision for Burj Azizi is to create a lasting legacy, a tribute to Dubai as a destination of choice for both residents and visitors and a monumental achievement in engineering,” said Azizi in the release.

Dubai currently has more towers measuring over 300 meters (984 feet) than any other city worldwide, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

Dubai is home to dozens of record-breaking architectural wonders — with many more in the pipeline. The Franck Muller Aeternitas Tower in Dubai, pictured, was unveiled in December 2023 and will become the world's tallest residential clock tower when it opens in 2027. Take a look at the city's other superlative structures, from the deepest pool to the tallest hotel.

In 2021, the Aura Sky Pool at the Address Beach Resort took the title of the world's highest infinity pool, perched 293.9 meters (964 feet and 3 inches) in the air.

Ciel Tower in Dubai's Marina district, pictured in this render, will be the tallest hotel in the world at 365 meters (1,197 feet) when it's completed — overtaking the current record holder, the 356-meter (1,168 feet) tall Gevora Hotel, also in Dubai.

Dubai’s Burj Azizi, which broke ground in January 2024, is set to become the world’s second-tallest building, coming in at 725 meters (2,379 feet).

The Burj Khalifa has been the world's tallest building for over a decade now. The super skyscraper is 828 meters (2,716 feet), more than double the height of New York's Empire State Building.

It makes sense that the world's tallest building would also set a few other records — one of which is at the base of the building. The Dubai Fountain, which puts on a nightly spectacle, is claimed to be the world's tallest performing fountain, shooting water up to 50 stories in the air.

Opened to the public in 2018, Dubai Frame is the world's largest picture frame, although it's more than a decorative structure. The monument, observatory and museum is 150 meters (493 feet) tall, and in 2019, welcomed 17.73 million visitors.

One Za’abeel claimed the record for the world’s longest cantilever building when it opened in February 2024. The cantilever is part of a 230-meter-long (755-foot) structure known as “The Link” suspended between twin skyscrapers, with the cantilever projecting 67.5 meters (221 feet) over the city.

And on the world’s longest cantilever building is the United Arab Emirates’ longest suspended infinity pool, which is 120 meters (393 feet) long and 100 meters (328 feet) high.

Not all of Dubai's record-breaking structures are super tall. The Emirate aspires to be the 3D-printing capital of the world, and between 2019 and 2023 it held the record for the largest 3D-printed building in the world, the Dubai Municipality building (pictured). It's also home to the world's first 3D-printed office and plans to construct the world's first 3D-printed mosque.

Deep Dive Dubai takes the city's record-breaking to new depths — 60 meters (196 feet) below sea level, to be exact. Those brave enough to take the plunge into the world's deepest pool can scuba dive in a sunken city and get creative in its underwater film studio.

Dubai Miracle Garden, billed as the world's largest natural flower garden, is home to another record-setting structure: the world's largest floral arrangement, a sculpture in the shape of an Airbus A380 airplane.

But being biggest isn't always best. When it opened in October 2021, Ain Dubai became the world's largest observation wheel, coming in at a whopping 250 meters (820 feet), nearly double the height of the London Eye. However, it closed just six months later for "enhancement works" — originally for a month, then six, and now indefinitely, leading to some reports renaming it the "world's largest (broken) Ferris wheel."

Dubai's most sensational record-breaking structures

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The city is no stranger to superlative structures. It boasts the world’s highest infinity pool, the world’s largest natural flower garden, and the world’s largest picture frame, to name a few.

There are many more under construction, too: The Franck Muller Aeternitas Tower hopes to claim the title of the world’s tallest residential clock tower when it opens in 2027, and Ciel Dubai Marina, scheduled for completion later this year, is expected to become the world’s tallest hotel. The Burj Binghatti Jacob & Co Residences, meanwhile, is set to become the world’s tallest residential structure (and Dubai’s third-tallest building) at 1,952 feet.

Burj Azizi is slated for completion in 2028, with apartments expected to go on sale in February 2025.