An abandoned $1 billion skyscraper, set to be the tallest structure ever built, is resuming construction with a new design in mind.
Dubai is famous for its towering skyscrapers, attracting millions of tourists each year.
It boasts the tallest building in the world, the 830-metre-tall Burj Khalifa, which offers energy-saving features and the most luxurious penthouses you'll have ever seen.
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As such, Dubai has long positioned itself as a symbol of what’s possible when money meets imagination.
However, not every project reached the finish line. Numerous projects have been left abandoned in the middle of construction and have gone to ruin.
Just look at the World Islands, a $12 billion archipelago built for the ultra-wealthy to own their own private 'countries.'
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Despite the hype, much of it remains deserted, and only a handful of islands have been developed.
Now, after years of hiatus, another high-profile project is being reimagined.
Launched in 2016 with a bold vision and a $1 billion (£760 million) investment, the Dubai Creek Tower was set to surpass the Burj Khalifa at a record-breaking height of 1,300 metres. Designed by the Spanish-Swiss architect Santiago Calatrava, the design for the tower was inspired by Islamic architectural traditions and minarets.
The chairman of the tower's development company, Emaar Properties, described the model as an 'elegant monument.'
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Plans included around 20 floors at the top, featuring a luxury hotel, 10 observation decks, and a sky garden, with doors expected to open in 2020.
By 2018, progress stalled, and construction is still yet to be completed.
Obviously, the pandemic also didn't help matters and prevented any work to resume on the building project.
"By early 2019, most of the infrastructure for the work crews had vacated, leaving just a bunch of empty staging areas and a big hole in the ground," Bright Sun Films explained in its YouTube video.
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In 2024, Emaar Properties announced plans to revisit the project. However, they stated that the design had changed and the height had been revised to be shorter than Burj Khalifa. That said, revised blueprints haven’t been released, and no major construction progress has been reported since.
So, it's still unclear when or if the tower will take shape or stay in limbo.
Meanwhile, parts of the broader Dubai Creek development have begun to take shape, including residential buildings and public infrastructure. Some areas of the Dubai Creek development have been completed, with several residential buildings now in place.
Dubai Creek is a tidal waterway stretching roughly 9 miles (14 kilometres) inland, serving as a natural harbour that supports the city’s trade and transportation.