16-05-2025
Burj Al Arab: 14 photos showing napkin sketch to 'seven star' hotel
Opened on December 1, 1999, the Burj Al Arab has since become one of Dubai's most iconic landmarks
With its eye-catching dhow sail design and its own man-made island, it continues to be one of the must-see attractions in the city, and pictures of it have filled up many a camera roll over the years.
For such a glamourous piece of architecture, its origins are far more humble with the initial sketches being doodled on a restaurant napkin by architect Tom Wright back in October 1993.
The design was a spontaneous one that the architect came up with when he spotted one of the emirate's distinctive dhow boats sailing nearby while at the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club.
The brief from the Dubai Ruler's office was to 'create an identifiable link for people around the world with the UAE' according to the designers WS Atkins.
The first sketch of the Burj Al Arab was made on a restaurant napkin in 1993 (Credit: Jumeirah)
The initial recognisable sketch of Burj Al Arab would have placed it on the beach, which would have meant that the shadow of the tower would have affected local people living nearby.
Instead, the royal family of Dubai ultimately decided to move the hotel to an island site.
Back in the early 1990s, the beach was known locally as the Chicago Beach and the project started life as a replacement for the existing Chicago Beach Hotel.
Eventually, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum decided on the name of Burj Al Arab.
A literal translation means 'the tower of Arabs' which reflects the original vision of the Dubai rulers for the hotel.
Construction began not long after the original design was doodled on a napkin with building underway in 1994.
A team of the best international designers and project managers from all over the world was assembled to manage the design and construction of the 321 metre tall luxury hotel.
The Burj Al Arab became a Jumeirah project when the group was established in 1997.
A man-made island was constructed in order to build the Burj Al Arab (Credit: Jumeirah)
Burj Al Arab under construction in the 1990s (Credit: June G)
(Credit: Jumeirah) (Credit: Jumeirah) (Credit: Jumeirah)
The iconic dhow sail arrives at the Burj Al Arab (Credit: Jumeirah)
Construction of the Burj Al Arab was initially kept under wraps, with not a peep until the world's media were told of the project at the World Travel Market Expo in November 1995.
Somehow, no images were leaked at this time despite the scale of the project.
All told, it took five years to build the Burj Al Arab with the man-made island taking up two of them.
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Upon completion, a visiting journalist was famously so overwhelmed by the design of the hotel that she declared it must be rated seven stars out of the maximum five.
Jumeirah, the owners of the hotel are quite content with its well-earned five stars and have never claimed it to be a seven-star hotel.
(Credit: Jumeirah) (Credit: Jumeirah) (Credit: Jumeirah)
The interiors of the hotel are the epitome of Dubai luxury with more than 30 different types of Statuario marble – the same marble that was used by Michelangelo in his famous sculptures – used in the walls and flooring.
Approximately 1,790sqm of 24-carat gold leaf was used to embellish the interior and an estimated 86,500 individual hand-fixed pieces of Swarovski crystals have been etched into the frame of the mirror in the Junsui bar and the entrance.
Skyview Bar once served what was at the time the world's most expensive mixed drink: the 27.321 (inspired by the bar's location on the 27th floor, 321 metres high) which cost Dhs27,321.
(Credit: Jumeirah) (Credit: Jumeirah) (Credit: Jumeirah)
Since opening in 1999, the hotel has played host to a number of iconic Dubai moments.
The helipad has been repurposed as a sports venue on multiple occasions with golf legend Tiger Woods teeing off it in 2004 before Roger Federer rallied against Andre Agassi in 2005 to promote the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Formula 1 driver David Coulthard also took to the helipad in a Red Bull car to perform doughnuts on the iconic building.
Burj Al Arab as we know it today (Credit: Jumeirah)
Thomas Meier, Chief Operating Officer and Interim Chief Executive Officer of Jumeirah, said that welcoming travellers remains at the heart of what the hotel group does: 'As we celebrate 25 years since we opened the iconic Jumeirah Burj Al Arab, we reflect on our legacy of excellence in luxury hospitality, inspired by the warmth and generosity of Arabian culture.
'This tradition of welcoming travellers to stay and share in culture and conversation is at the heart of our vision: to create not just beautiful destinations but spaces to connect the world.'
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