The Burj Khalifa is the highest building in the world. To maximise the superlatives it contains the highest observation deck, apartment, swimming pool and library. Literally sky high and that is where we are headed. Arriving at the ticket office I ask for tickets to the highest observation deck for the two of us. As my credit card is immediately stung for 1000 dirhams. My mind tries to process the exchange rate. Something seems to be wrong! The brochures say it is $44 US to get to the top. Surely there is a decimal point out of place or I have my arithmetic wrong, but I keep coming up with a converted ticket price of an “eye watering” $170 US per person. It transpires that the $44 ticket only gets you to the 125th floor observation deck. The higher price gets us to the 148th floor. Here as with any purchase in Dubai sky high also applies to the price. Nonetheless the view is not to be missed and the Emiratis know that punters will pay through the nose for this experience.
The evening sees us travelling out to experience the desert sunset. Unsurprisingly it is highly commercialised with camel and falcon photo ops and henna painting. The dunes and the sunset are somewhat underwhelming.
