Who Lives in Burj Khalifa

Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, has been a symbol of the UAE's wealth and prosperity for over 10 years. Since its completion in 2010, Burj Khalifa has been the most popular tourist attraction in Dubai. 

But does Burj Khalifa have apartments ? Yes, It boasts not only expensive restaurants and observation decks with spectacular views, but also luxury residential units that take up dozens of floors in the tower. So, who lives there? Read on to find out about who owns most flats in Burj Khalifa, how many flats are there in Burj Khalifa and can you live in the Burj Khalifa or not.

• How Much It Costs to Buy a Property in Burj Khalifa
• Wealthy Indian Buyers
• Who Owns the Most Properties in the Skyscraper

How Much It Costs to Buy a Property in Burj Khalifa

If you’re considering buying living real estate in the Burj Khalifa, you can choose from a wide range of options on sale, from small studios to huge penthouses.

How many apartments in Burj Khalifa? In total, there are 900 residential units in Burj Khalifa that occupy 90 floors (from the 19th to the 108th). 

So, how much does a house cost in Burj Khalifa? The prices for properties in the skyscraper start at 1,700,000 AED ($463,000) for a modest studio and reach up to 17 million AED ($4,900,000) for spacious apartments. However, even that is not the limit. In July 2022, someone bought a property in Burj Khalifa for a record-breaking $86,300,000.

Who owns apartments in Burj Khalifaand do people live in it? Most property owners in Burj Khalifa are investors who do not buy real estate to live in it. Investing in properties in Burj Khalifa makes sense as it is a unique and stylish building and Dubai's real estate market is steadily growing.

Wealthy Indian Buyers

Even in its early days the skyscraper attracted lots of wealthy Indians who wished to buy a property in it. Today, Indians own a significant number of units in Burj Khalifa. According to Emaar Properties, the developer of the building, Indians bought about 150 units in the first three years alone. But who exactly among Indians owns most apartments in Burj Khalifa?

For instance, the entire 100th floor belongs to an Indian tycoon Bavaguthu Raghuram Shetty, the owner of the NMC Hospital in the UAE and the UAE Exchange company which deals with financial transactions. 

On the 123rd floor you can find a lawyer's office owned by Rohit Kochhar from Delhi. He has stated that an office in Burj Khalifa gives him a higher status in the eyes of his clients, who come to his exclusive lounge.

Moreover, properties in Burj Khalifa are popular with Indian film stars and show business celebrities. For instance, Bollywood stars Mohanlal and Shilpa Shetty are on the list of owners. It’s reported that the actress bought a high-end property with her husband, businessman Raj Kundra.

Who Owns the Most Properties in the Skyscraper

But who is the owner of Burj Khalifa? George V. Nereaparambil from the Indian state of Kerala owns the most apartments in Burj Khalifa. The story of how he has paved his way to buy luxury real estate is a very Bollywood-like tale.

Mr. Nereaparambil started doing business when he was just 11 and helped his father sell agricultural products. He thought of launching his own business after he discovered that cotton seeds could be used in the production of chewing gum. He sifted through the dust to find the seeds, then sold them and made a pretty good profit. In 1976, George Nereaparambil came to the United Arab Emirates and became a car mechanic in Sharjah. Soon, he realised how uncomfortable it is to live in the hot desert climate and considered air-conditioning systems would make a promising business here. So, he founded his own company that sold air conditioners and provided a maintenance service for them. His company flourished, and George became one of the richest men in the UAE. 

Today, George Nereaparambil is the founder and owner of the Geo Group holding, which is one of the largest in the Middle East. He also owns 14% of the Cochin International Airport in India and owns several healthcare institutions.

Interestingly, Nereaparambil decided to become a Burj Khalifa property's owner after a joke with his relative who said, "Look at Burj Khalifa. You cannot enter it." Nereaparambil accepted the challenge and rented an apartment there as soon as one became available. The next day he moved in.

After a while, he bought his first unit in the building, and currently owns 22 of the 900 units in the tower. He rents out a few of them, while the rest are waiting for suitable tenants, according to Nereaparambil.

In a Nutshell

So, does the name of anyone who lives in Burj Khalifa, is known? Unfortunately, the answer to this question as well as to question "Who owns Burj Khalifa?" is still unknown to the public. The list of Burj Khalifa apartment owners is confidential information which is carefully secured both by the residents and the developer. What we do know is how thorough Emaar Properties is when it comes to selecting the buyers of real estate in Burj Khalifa. Only very wealthy people can afford to buy an apartment in this skyscraper. If you want to learn more about the prices of properties in Burj Khalifa, click here to read the article on Housearch.

Cover photo: Nick Fewings (Unsplash)