DUBAI: Gulf metropolis Dubai, on its never-ending quest to break records, announced the opening of the "world's new tallest hotel" Sunday, pipping another towering landmark in the city for the title. The gleaming gold 75-storey Gevora Hotel stands 356 metres, or nearly a quarter of a mile, tall. Dubai is also home to the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, which pierces the city skyline at 828 metres (half a mile) high. The city-state, one of seven sheikhdoms that make up the energy-rich United Arab Emirates, aims to attract 20 million visitors annually by 2020 when it hosts the global trade fair Expo 2020. A major transit hub situated on transcontinental air routes, Dubai airport was the world's busiest for international passengers in 2017 for the fourth year running, with 88.2 million travellers.

Source: New Strait Times February 11, 2018 17:03 UTC