Burj Khalifa

Burj Khalifa (Arabic: برج خليفة‎, "Khalifa Tower", pronounced English /ˈbɜːrdʒ kəˈliːfə/), known as Burj Dubai before its inauguration, is a megatall skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the tallest artificial structure in the world, standing at 829.8 m (2,722 ft).

Construction of Burj Khalifa began in 2004, with the exterior completed in 2009. The primary structure is reinforced concrete. The building opened in 2010, as part of the new development called Downtown Dubai. It is designed to be the centerpiece of large-scale, mixed-use development. The decision to build the building is reportedly based on the government's decision to diversify from an oil-based economy, and for Dubai to gain international recognition. The building was named in honor of the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the United Arab Emirates, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Abu Dhabi and the UAE government lent Dubai money to pay its debts. The building broke numerous height records.

Burj Khalifa was designed by Adrian Smith then of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), whose firm also designed the Willis Tower and the One World Trade Center. Hyder Consulting was chosen to be the supervising engineer with NORR Group Consultants International Limited chosen to supervise the architecture of the project. The design of Burj Khalifa is derived from patterning systems embodied in Islamic architecture, incorporating cultural and historical elements particular to the region such as the spiral minaret. The Y-shaped plan is designed for residential and hotel usage. A buttressed core structural system is used to support the height of the building, and the cladding system is designed to withstand Dubai's summer temperatures. A total of 57 elevators and 8 escalators are installed, with the elevators having a capacity of 12 to 14 people per cabin.

Khalifa

Khalifa or Khalifah is a name or title which means "successor" or "steward". It most commonly refers to the leader of a Caliphate, but is also used as a title among various Islamic religious groups and orders. Khalifa is sometimes also pronounced as "kalifa".

Concept

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Historical people

Dubai

Dubai (/duːˈbaɪ/ doo-BY; Arabic: دبي‎ Dubayy, Gulf pronunciation: [dʊˈbɑj]) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is located on the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf and is one of the seven emirates that make up the country. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are the only two emirates to have veto power over critical matters of national importance in the country's legislature. The city of Dubai is located on the emirate's northern coastline and heads up the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area. Dubai is to host World Expo 2020.

Dubai has emerged as a global city and business hub of the Middle East. It is also a major transport hub for passengers and cargo. By the 1960s Dubai's economy was based on revenues from trade and, to a smaller extent, oil exploration concessions, but oil was not discovered until 1966. Oil revenue first started to flow in 1969. Dubai's oil revenue helped accelerate the early development of the city, but its reserves are limited and production levels are low: today, less than 5% of the emirate's revenue comes from oil. The emirate's Western-style model of business drives its economy with the main revenues now coming from tourism, aviation, real estate, and financial services. Dubai has recently attracted world attention through many innovative large construction projects and sports events. The city has become iconic for its skyscrapers and high-rise buildings, in particular the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. Dubai has been criticised for human rights violations concerning the city's largely South Asian workforce. Dubai's property market experienced a major deterioration in 2008–09 following the financial crisis of 2007–08, but the emirate's economy has made a return to growth, with a projected 2015 budget surplus.

Downtown Dubai

Downtown Dubai, previously known as Downtown Burj Dubai, is a large-scale, mixed-use complex under development in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the home of some of the city's most important landmarks including Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, and Dubai Fountain. It covers an area of 2 square kilometres (0.77 sq mi), at an estimated cost of US$20 billion (Dh73 billion) upon completion.

The complex is situated along Sheikh Zayed Road, across from Al Wasl locality on the Northwest. It is bounded to the South by Business Bay and to the Northeast by Financial Centre Road, which separates it from Zabeel 2 and Trade Center 2. It is connected to the Dubai Metro via the Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall Metro Station. The First Interchange, which is in its last phases of construction, will guarantee the free flow of traffic to and from the area.

Development is divided into 11 projects. Burj Khalifa, Dubai Fountain, Dubai Mall, Burj Park Island, and The Address Downtown Dubai hotel are at the center of the complex. The Old Town and The Old Town Island are mostly low-rise residential buildings, in addition to three hotels and Souq Al Bahar. Emaar Boulevard, The Residences and South Ridge comprise high-rise residential towers. Emaar Square is a low-rise office complex.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is a 2011 American action spy film and the fourth installment in the Mission: Impossible film series, and director Brad Bird's first live-action film. It stars Tom Cruise, who reprises his role of IMF agent Ethan Hunt, with Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, and Paula Patton as his supporting team. Ghost Protocol was written by André Nemec and Josh Appelbaum, and produced by Cruise, J. J. Abrams (the third film's director) and Bryan Burk. It saw the return of editor Paul Hirsch and visual effects supervisor John Knoll from the first film, and is also the first Mission: Impossible film to be partially filmed using IMAX cameras. Released in North America by Paramount Pictures on December 16, 2011, the film was a critical and commercial success. Ghost Protocol became the highest-grossing film in the series, and the highest-grossing film starring Cruise.

Plot

In Budapest, after stealing Russian codes from a courier working for an individual code-named "Cobalt", IMF agent Trevor Hanaway is killed by assassin Sabine Moreau. Jane Carter, Hanaway's team leader, and newly promoted field agent Benjamin Dunn free Ethan Hunt from a Moscow prison, along with Ethan's source, Bogdan. Ethan is tasked to infiltrate Moscow Kremlin archives and locate files identifying Cobalt. During the mission, someone broadcasts on the IMF frequency, ordering the detonation of a bomb and alerting the Russians to Ethan's team. A bomb destroys the Kremlin. Benji and Jane escape, but Ethan is captured by SVR agent Anatoly Sidorov.