The Almas Tower

Up until 2009 and the completion of the Burj Khalifa at 828ms. The Almas Tower, also known as the Diamond Tower, was the tallest building in Dubai. Located at JLT (Jumeriah Lake Towers) it dominates the skyline as you look from the land towards the sea.

As the crow flies this is 3 miles away.

Viewed from the other side, it doesn't look that much taller than the other buildings.

Every tower in Dubai has a name and despite this dominating the Dubai Skyline, I've only ever referred to it 'the building that's the same height at The Shard in London, just to give you some idea of how big these building in Dubai are'

The Almas Tower is 306ms to the top floor and the antenna brings it up to 360ms. The top floor is measured at 279.3ms, with 68 floors of which 5 are below the ground.

The Shard (completed in 2012) is the tallest building in the UK, the tallest building in the European Union, the 5th tallest building in Europe and the 96th tallest building in the world, stands at 309.7ms, with 95 floors of which 72 are habitable. The observatory is at 244ms.

Last Sunday whilst visiting JBR (Jumeriah Beach Residence) I noticed smoke coming out the top of the Almas Tower. There have been several major fires in skyscrapers in Dubai in the 4 years we've lived here. The Torch in February 2015 and the Address Hotel on New Years Eve 2015 in Downtown Dubai being 2 of the biggest.

Along with 100's of other people I dialled 911 to report the fire. I was aware that I didn't know the name of the building and described it as the 'tallest one in JLT.' The emergency services were already aware and within seconds I heard the emergency services arrive. The building was evacuated and the fire was brought under control in 20 mins. it was contained to the spire only.

Quite a few people asked me what the spire is for, as far as I can find out, it's to add height, it's decorative, acts as a lightening conductor and can be used for telecommunication purposes.

Week 158 Bluewater Islands and Dubai Eye. Man made island a 210m high Big Wheel
Week 159 Dubai Marina - Reflections
Week 160 Dubai Frame. A window between the Old and New Dubai and a 150m high glass floor.

Week 161 Dubai Marina 3 years apart.

Week 162 Dubai Water Canal Bridge Construction and reconfiguration of roads

Week 163 New Metro Line for Expo 2020
Week 164 Hoover Dam 2002 - 2010
Week 165 Dubai Opera House What a difference a year makes
Week 166 Unfinished buildings. The Pentominium
Week 167 Mixing the old and the new. Coventry Catherdral
Week 168 New Dubai Metro Station 
Week 169 Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa 
Week 170 After the Address fire 
Week 171 The Opus Building
Week 172 District Cooling. Keeping the desert cool.
Week 173 Can I visit the Burj Al Arab

My Sunday Photo - Week 54

Last week I showed you a photo of The Address hotel fire in Downtown Dubai. It was still smouldering almost 24 hours later.

Yesterday we visited the Dubai Mall, it was such a sad sight to see. I am absolutely stunned that no one died or was seriously injured and the fire crews and hotel had one of a drill going to ensure everyones safety. The hotel was evacuated in 20 minutes. Add to that it was New Years Eve and there were around 1 million people there to watch the firework celebrations. It could've been so much work, especially if people on the ground had panicked.

I received some fantastic feedback from my first weeks planning at the school for my new job, I think I'm on top of everything now.

This week I shall be working while my husband and child 3 of 5, The Jamie, visit the top of the Burj Khalifa today, go to the Mall of Emirates tomorrow and I'll meet them in the evening for dinner at Global Village. On Tuesday they are cycling in the desert and dinner is on the beach at a fish restaurant. Jamie returns to the UK on Wednesday, but is back out in March with the #teen and before then we have 3 sets of visitors coming out.

Hope everyone has a good week.

My Sunday Photo - Week 53

I'm back in work on Sunday, it's the first working day of the week here in Dubai, a country that I wasn't all that keen on when we moved here, however after a year it has started to grow on me, we've made friends and more importantly I've landed myself a teaching job. I wasn't working when I booked the teens flight out and the 23 year old booked his, so I'm a little sad to be missing out on their last week here, but Peter has taken leave for the rest of their stay and I've hired a car so I can get back and forth to work while they drive off to Hatta, Ferrari World, etc.

We had an amazing New Years Eve 2016 viewed from the beach which is 1km from our home. We are 5 kms from the Burj Al Arab and 9 kms from the Burj Khalifa.

We were without internet on the beach and noticed how the Burj Khalifa was engulfed with what we thought to be cloud, sadly on our return home we discovered it was smoke from the Address Hotel.

This photo was taken at 5.30pm yesterday, 20 hours after the blaze started. The fire damage is much worse than first reported and it's the 4th major fire in Dubai in 2015.

 The firework display from the beach lasted over 40 minutes, starting at the Burj Khalifa, viewed from the back, and the Atlantis. 

Next a huge wall of fireworks were set off up near the Creek

And stretched out into the sea

Finishing with a huge finale at the Burj Al Arab

Hope you enjoyed the show, we certainly did, we thought last years fireworks were spectacular, this year's was just mind blowing, can't wait to find out how we are going to end 2016.

My Sunday Photo Week 8 The Torch

Two days after the fire at The Torch in Dubai, walking around Dubai Marina this morning, apart from a fire engine you'd never know about the fire that occurred here in the early hours of Saturday morning, unless you happened to look up.

Reports from residents in the local paper say how fantastic the security guards and fire department were in ensuring everyone evacuated the building safely. Despite balconies quite literally melting away there is no damage inside some apartments in the affected area.

Residents are back in their apartments below the 38th floor, cleaning the balconies. Anyone between the 38th and 51st floors hasn't been allowed back in their apartments yet, but residents above the 51st floor have been allowed to return, under supervision to collect essential items, but until the fire investigation team have carried out their investigation, nothing else can be removed from the building and it will probably be a month before residents will be allowed to return to their homes.