A billowing sail-shaped structure soaring 321 metres above the Arabian Gulf, Burj Al Arab, or Arabian Tower, is a dramatic tribute to the region's seafaring heritage.

Combining the latest technology with a long-standing reputation of Arabian hospitality, the hotel symbolizes the very essence of Dubai, embracing the best of the new alongside traditions of the past.

An architectural and engineering marvel standing on a man-made island lying some 280 metres offshore - itself a beautifully landscaped and green oasis - Burj Al Arab is already an icon on the Dubai skyline, and one that is rapidly becoming symbolic of the Emirate's growing international stature.

The building would present a striking image in any of the world's major cities, but rising in proud isolation from the shores of the Arabian Gulf, it is a breathtaking sight alongside The Jumeirah Beach Hotel.

Burj Al Arab's construction commanded enormous resources: 3,500 designers, engineers and construction staff worked to fashion the ground-breaking structure out of 360,000 cubic metres of concrete and more than 9,000 tonnes of steel, while 250 foundation piles have been driven 40 metres deep to secure it to the seabed.

The sail facade, dazzling white by day and a rainbow of colour at night, represents an astonishing technical feat with a screen of double-skinned Teflon coated woven glass fibre representing the largest ever use of such materials in any building worldwide.