Top 10 Tallest Buildings in the UAE: Apartments, Offices, Restaurants and Pools in the Sky

It's hard to believe, but up until the end of the 20th century the tallest building in the UAE was no higher than 165 metres. Nowadays there are almost 200 skyscrapers taller than 200 metres. You’ll see most of them in Dubai, the country’s biggest and most thriving city. Capital city Abu Dhabi also boasts a couple of dozen skyscrapers.

Most of the 10 tallest skyscrapers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi on our list offer short visits to the observation decks as well as various accommodation options. Read on to find out how much it costs and why living sky-high is an absolute must-do for anyone craving a lavish and comfortable lifestyle.

• Burj Khalifa
• Marina 101
  
• Princess Tower
  
• 23 Marina
  
• Burj Mohammed bin Rashid
  
• Elite Residence
  
• Address Boulevard
  
• Almas Tower
  
• Gevora Hotel
  
• Il Primo
  

Burj Khalifa

Burj Khalifa must be the most famous skyscraper in the world. The building looks like a giant stalagmite and has held every major "the-tallest-something" record since 2010. Named after the second president of the United Arab Emirates Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Burj Khalifa means Khalifa Tower in Arabic. It’s the tallest building, the building with the most floors, and the tallest man-made structure in the world. With a total height of 829.8 metres Burj Khalifa has 163 floors. Meanwhile, the Saudi Arabians, the UAE's closest neighbours, have challenged these records with an ambitious plan to build a 1000 metre Jeddah Tower. However, with construction works on hold it's unclear when the building will be finished and at what height.

Burj Khalifa is a multi-purpose tower. The Armani Hotel occupies the lower floors. 900 apartments take the space up to the 108th floor. Go higher than that and you'll find office space. Don't forget about two observation decks, which used to be the highest in the world, the lounge at 585 metres, the At.mosphere restaurant on the 122nd floor, as well as various gyms, pools and other recreational facilities.

Prices for properties for sale in Burj Khalifa start at 2,000,000 AED ($545,000) for a furnished studio. A four-bedroom apartment on one of the top floors will cost you about 18,000,000 AED ($4,900,000). If you're looking for a three-bedroom residence for rent, be prepared to pay 400,000 to 500,000 AED a year ($109,000 to $136,000). A small apartment is two or three times cheaper.

Marina 101

Marina 10, standing at 425 metres, is the second tallest building in the UAE and Dubai. You can easily find it in the Dubai Marina district, surrounded by many lower skyscrapers. The number in the name stands for the number of floors in the building.

Just like the Burj Khalifa, Marina 101 is a hotel and a high-rise residential tower. The only difference is that Marina 101 is still uncompleted. Construction started in 2007 with the work scheduled to finish in 2014. Something went wrong, the developer ran out of money in 2019 and suspended the project.

In spring 2022 the Dubai Land Department confirmed that Marina 101 will be completed in the near future, though the exact date is unknown.

Princess Tower

The Princess Tower is next to Marina 101 and has the same number of floors. At 413.4 metres, Princess Tower held the record for the tallest residential building in the world for a few years in the early 2010s. Princess Tower hosts 753 apartments, including duplexes, penthouses, pools, saunas, gyms and game halls. You can visit the observation deck on the 97th floor.

You can buy a one-bedroom apartment in the third-tallest building in the UAE for 1,000,000 AED ($272,000). Prices for bigger properties with four or five bedrooms can reach up to 6,000,000 AED ($1,634,000). Renting a three-bedroom apartment costs from 200,000 AED a year ($55,000), while you can find something smaller for 100,000 AED a year ($27,000).

Did you know? Dubai and Chicago are the only cities in the world with three buildings higher than 100 floors.

23 Marina

The Dubai Marina district is also home to the 393-metre 23 Marina tower, with 88 floors. It was the highest residential building before Princess Tower was completed. There are 289 apartments for rent in this skyscraper, including 48 duplexes with a private elevator and a small Jacuzzi on the balcony. 23 Marina also has full-size swimming pools among other sports facilities.

You'll have to pay around 2,000,000 AED ($545,000) for a two or three-bedroom apartment, while the cheapest four-bedroom duplex starts at 7,600,000 AED ($2,000,000). There aren't any studios or one-bedroom apartments in 23 Marina. The minimum cost for renting a property for 12 months here is 130,000 AED ($35,000).

Burj Mohammed bin Rashid

Burj Mohammed bin Rashid, named after the UAE's prime minister, closes our list of the top five tallest buildings in the UAE. This 92-storey residential tower is the highest building in Abu-Dhabi. Burj Mohammed bin Rashid forms part of the World Trade Center complex near the Lake Garden Park and the Corniche embankment.

There are 474 apartments in this building with one to four bedrooms. You can’t buy property here, but you can rent it. You will have to pay up to 280,000 AED a year for the biggest apartment and around 70,000 AED for the smallest one ($76,000 and $19,000 respectively). On the 90th floor of Burj Mohammed bin Rashid you'll find a gym and an indoor garden. 

Elite Residence

Time to head back to the Dubai Marina district. Our next stop, a 380.5 metre skyscraper. The 91-storey Elite Residence building has 695 apartments and the standard list of amenities of a high-end residential complex, such as pools, gyms, recreational and spa areas. Residents enjoy the view of the man-made island of Palm Jumeirah and the Barasti beach, which is just a few minutes’ walk away.

A four-bedroom apartment in this building can cost up to 20,000,000 AED ($5,445,000), but you can find a one-bedroom apartment for 1,000,000 AED ($272,000). Rent prices vary from 80,000 AED to 350,000 AED for a 12-month contract in the sixth-tallest building in the UAE ($22,000 to $95,000).

Address Boulevard

Address Boulevard is a 368 metre building with 73 floors. It consists of 196 five-star rooms and 523 serviced residences.

Opposite the hotel you'll see the enormous Dubai Mall as well as other Dubai Downtown landmarks: the park, the fountain and the opera house.

Almas Tower

The 360-metre Almas Tower was the tallest building in Dubai for several months before the Burj Khalifa was completed. Almas Tower is the first and only building in our list that consists exclusively of office space. Almas Tower is home to the Dubai Diamond Exchange, the Pearl Exchange and the Gems Club as well as other gem-related businesses. Both the interior and exterior of the Almas Tower are all about diamonds.

The Gevora Hotel

The 356 metre Gevora Hotel is the tallest hotel in the world. The 75-storey building has 528 rooms and no apartment hotel units. You can relax in one of the three restaurants, in a café or in the lounge by the pool on the 12th floor. The Gevora Hotel is conveniently located near the Financial Center metro station, so you can easily get to the airport or Downtown Dubai.

Il Primo

Il Primo is a high-end skyscraper under construction near Dubai Opera. Once completed, the 77-storey Il Primo will be as tall as the Gevora Hotel and four-bedroom apartments will be the smallest properties available. So, in this huge building there will be only 119 properties.

According to the developer, residents will get a pool, a gym, a library, a cinema and a golf simulator. Prices for properties in the uncompleted building vary from 20,000,000 to 120,000,000 AED on classifieds websites ($5,445,000 to $32,700,000).

In a Nutshell

The UAE’s tallest buildings on our list form only a small selection of the many skyscrapers that have changed the skyline and lifestyle in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. You don't have to climb high to enjoy life in the UAE. Luckily, the property market is full of villas. However, if you're moving to the UAE, don't miss the chance to visit or live in one of its many tall buildings. You’ll need to pay a high price to live on the upper floors of these buildings but the standards are high too.

Tallest buildings in Dubai: Burj Khalifa, Marina 101, Princess Tower
Name of the tallest building in Dubai: Burj Khalifa
Tallest buildings in Abu Dhabi: Burj Mohammed bin Rashid, ADNOC Headquarters, The Landmark
Name of the tallest Building in Abu Dhabi: Burj Mohammed bin Rashid