The tallest tower

At 828 metres, the Burj Khalifa - called the Burj Dubai during its construction - is the world's tallest skyscraper. It easily beats the world's previous tallest building, the Taipei 101 in Taiwan, which is 508 metres tall. The last time the Middle East was host to the world's tallest free-standing building was in 1311 when the Great Pyramid of Giza was overtaken by the spire of Lincoln Cathedral.