25 incredible pictures of Dubai from above

Aerial Dubai
REUTERS/Matthias Seifert

Dubai spares no expense when making its cityscape the most jaw-dropping in the world.

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In the 2000s, the emirate dropped nearly $600 billion into constructing the world's tallest tower, the biggest man-made island, and the most luxurious hotel, among other architectural feats.

These aerial photos of Dubai capture the city's elegance and ambition.

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Dubai is a city of superlatives. Located in the United Arab Emirates, the ritzy metropolis is home to some of the tallest, biggest, and most luxurious structures in the world.

Aerial Dubai
REUTERS/Jumana ElHeloueh

These dazzling photos of Dubai, taken from the sky, show off the city's architectural feats.

Aerial Dubai
REUTERS/Steve Crisp
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The Burj Al Arab, the fourth-tallest hotel in the world, dominates the Dubai skyline.

aerial dubai india, Burj Al Arab hotel
An aerial view of the Burj Al Arab hotel is seen in Dubai January 7, 2012. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh Jumana El Heloueh/Reuters

Completed in 1999, the hotel is located on an artificial island in the Persian gulf.

aerial dubai india, Burj Al Arab hotel
An aerial view of the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai September 7, 2007.REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters
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The self-proclaimed "most luxurious hotel in the world" sits 919 feet out into the water, so it doesn't cast a shadow on the beaches nearby.

aerial dubai india, Burj Al Arab hotel
An aerial view with the Burj Al Arab hotel is seen in Dubai January 7, 2012. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh Jumana El Heloueh/Reuters

One of the hotel's main features is its heliport. It can be converted into a grass tennis court that, hanging off the side of the hotel 650 feet up, is the highest suspended tennis court in the world.

Burj Al Arab tennis
David Cannon/Getty Images
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The Burj Al Arab hotel's success inspired one of the most ambitious building projects ever undertaken, the Palms.

aerial dubai india, The Palm Island Jebel-Ali
Aerial view of The Palm Island Jebel-Ali in Dubai, November 8, 2007. REUTERS/Steve Crisp Steve Crisp/Reuters

The story goes that Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, decided the city needed a "backup plan" once its oil supply ran out. Three islands were constructed off the coast to provide land for premium real estate and luxury hotels.

aerial dubai india, The Palm Island Jumeirah
An aerial view of The Palm Island Jumeirah in Dubai and some residential homes that have been completed, November 8, 2007. REUTERS/Steve Crisp Steve Crisp/Reuters

Source: International Business Times

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Here's the Palm Island Jumeirah, the smallest island, in 2007 when it welcomed its first tenants.

aerial dubai india
An aerial view of The Palm Island Jumeirah in Dubai and some residential homes that have been completed, November 8, 2007. REUTERS/Steve Crisp Steve Crisp/Reuters

Source: International Business Times

The Palms took just four years to complete, requiring 12 million pounds of rock and 53 million pounds of sand to build.

aerial dubai india, Palm Jumeirah
Houses on the fronds of the Palm Jumeirah are seen in Dubai December 21, 2009. Dubai World disappointed creditors on Monday by making little progress on securing standstill on $22 billion of debt, as a key creditor meeting turned out to be a tame affair with less than half the expected attendees showing up. Picture taken December 21, 2009. REUTERS/Matthias Seifert Matthias Seifert/Reuters

Source: International Business Times

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Here's the view from the Atlantis hotel on the tip of the island group. The Palms can apparently be seen from space.

Aerial Dubai
REUTERS/Matthias Seifert

Source: International Business Times 

 

This nearby man-made archipelago, aptly named The World, was designed to look like a map of the world from above.

Aerial Dubai
REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah
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Construction resumed in 2014 after the global financial crisis halted development for four years. When completed, The World will accommodate residential, commercial, and recreational zones.

aerial dubai india, Dubai World
An aerial view is seen of construction work in Dubai December 21, 2009. Dubai World disappointed creditors on Monday by making little progress on securing standstill on $22 billion of debt, as a key creditor meeting turned out to be a tame affair with less than half the expected attendees showing up. Picture taken December 21, 2009. REUTERS/Matthias Seifert Matthias Seifert/Reuters

Source: Big Think

Dubai Marina is also quite a sight to see, as is the view of the city from it.

aerial dubai india, Dubai World
An aerial view of Dubai December 21, 2009. State-owned Dubai World did not ask creditors for a standstill on $22 billion of debt at a meeting on Monday, adding to uncertainty for investors who have been in the dark for weeks and hurting local bank shares. REUTERS/Matthias Seifert Matthias Seifert/Reuters
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Developers dug a trench inland and filled it with water from the Persian Gulf. The artificial canal stretches two miles long.

aerial dubai india
An aerial view of the Dubai Marina October 25, 2010. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters

Dubai Marina is home to Jebel Ali Port, the world's largest man-made harbor ...

aerial dubai india, Jebel-Ali port
A view of the Jebel-Ali port in Dubai, November 8, 2007. REUTERS/Steve Crisp Steve Crisp/Reuters

Source: DP World

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... and home to Jumeirah Beach Residence, the largest single-phase residential development in the world.

Aerial Dubai
REUTERS/Steve Crisp

Source: Best Real-Estate Agent Dubai

Jumeirah Beach Residence opened in 2008. Today the community includes 35 residential towers and five hotels.

aerial dubai india, Dubai Marina, UIM XCat Powerboat Championships
An aerial view of the Dubai Marina is seen during the UIM XCat Powerboat Championships in Dubai, April 6, 2010. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem Mohammed Salem/Reuters
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The Jumeirah Beach Hotel features 598 rooms and 20 restaurants and bars, along with 364,000 square feet of beach.

Jumeirah Beach Hotel
Warren Little/Getty Images

 

Sheikh Zayed Road helps form E 11, the longest road in the Emirates.

Aerial Dubai
REUTERS/Steve Crisp
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The city's main artery runs parallel to the coast, connecting the Palms and Dubai Marina.

Aerial Dubai
REUTERS/Jumana ElHeloueh

Perhaps the centerpiece of Dubai's rapidly growing skyline is Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building.

Aerial Dubai
REUTERS/Matthias Seifert
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The glitzy pillar stands at 2,716 1/2 feet. Here's the view from the observation deck on the 124th floor, which is still 36 floors from the top.

aerial dubai india, observation deck located on the 124th floor of the Burj Dubai Tower
The view from the observation deck located on the 124th floor of the Burj Dubai Tower shows a shadow cast by the Tower on the city of Dubai below January 4, 2010. Started at the height of the economic boom and built by some 12,000 labourers, the world's tallest building will open on Monday in Dubai as the glitzy emirate seeks to rekindle optimism after its financial crisis. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters

Source: Burj Khalifa

The tower was completed in just 1,325 days and required as many as 12,000 workers on site on a given day.

Aerial Dubai
REUTERS/Steve Crisp

Source: Burj Khalifa

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Upon completion in 2010, Burj Khalifa, originally known as Burj Dubai, used up 31,400 metric tons of rebar, or reinforced steel. Laid end to end, the steel would stretch a quarter of the way around the world.

aerial dubai india, Burj Khalifa
An aerial view of Burj Khalifa in Dubai October 25, 2010. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters
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