The Biggest Scandal in Dubai

The Biggest Scandal in Dubai

If it seems like world politics is taking notes from the Jerry Springer Show, this isn’t a new phenomenon. This week we explore the tallest building in the world that has a juicy secret.
- Cris

Burj Khalifa

THE SPIRE AND THE SECRETS: INSIDE THE BURJ KHALIFA

It’s the needle that touches the sky - the Burj Khalifa, standing at a vertigo-inducing 828 meters (2,717 feet), is the tallest building on Earth. But while millions flock here to take selfies on the 148th floor, few know the strange truths and whispered rumors swirling around its shimmering glass panels.

Sure, it’s iconic. The Burj has redefined what’s possible with architecture. Designed by Adrian Smith of SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill), the same firm behind One World Trade Center, the tower is more than just a pretty face. It was engineered to "sway with the wind," with a triple-lobed footprint inspired by the Spider Lily flower and aerodynamic shaping to prevent vortex shedding (basically, nature's way of trying to rip a building apart).

Inside? It's its own universe. Armani designed an entire hotel in the lower floors. The residences above are owned by celebrities, billionaires, and the occasional ultra-discreet royal. It’s said the top floors are never fully occupied—not because of price, but because of privacy, politics, or perhaps… paranoia.

Now for the good stuff:

Let’s talk about what you won’t find in the brochures.

Summer heat can be torture.

Last summer, did you promise yourself that you would lose weight so you can wear lighter clothing this summer? Now is the perfect time to begin. Thankfully, JavaBurn has figured out a clever way to burn fat using coffee. Yum.

1. The Mysterious Spire

That jaw-dropping height? Around 29% of it is a spire—an architectural loophole, some argue, designed to steal the title of "tallest." What’s stranger? The spire reportedly contains no usable space. Conspiracy forums (and at least one former contractor) claim the spire houses advanced surveillance equipment—not just for local authorities, but for international eyes. Theories range from facial recognition arrays to experimental weather tech. Wild? Sure. But remember: this is Dubai, where sci-fi becomes city planning.

2. The Secret Billionaire Panic Room

Whispers persist of an ultra-secure panic room on a classified floor equipped with biometric locks, oxygen supply, and enough security to survive a cyberattack or even a drone strike. It’s supposedly used by high-profile guests during moments of geopolitical tension. While there’s no official floor number tied to it, several elevators have strange restrictions—buttons that don’t light up, access cards that don’t belong to any known resident, and motion-detected access logs that... mysteriously disappear.

3. The Ghost Floors

Locals love to gossip about "phantom floors"—levels in the building that don’t appear on official floor lists. Elevator technicians say there are entire service floors between levels 139 and 154, hidden for “engineering purposes,” but some ex-security staff say those floors are accessed more often than they should be... by people who don’t live there.

The juiciest claim? That one of the ghost floors is a vault of luxury confiscated items—hypercars, watches, and even artwork—from powerful individuals who fell out of favor. Think Fort Knox, but shinier. I guess you need to store these items somewhere, right?

4. The Biggest Scandal in Dubai

The biggest scandal in Dubai is sitting right out in the open, selling tickets to explore it, sleep in it, and dine in it. The Burj Khalifa is a Roman Catholic symbol - a Cross! Let me explain. Most photos of the Burj Khalifa are taken from the front (shown above).

The angle of viewing is important because anyone living in Dubai, or visiting Dubai, views the Burj Khalfa from the back. Notice something interesting when viewed as a person living in Dubai? Is that a cross? The government of Dubai vehemently denies the rumors that the architect, British Christian Tom Wright, had a dream of introducing a symbol of Christianity into a Muslim country. The fact that Tom Wright openly tells the story (after getting paid) makes it hard to quash this as a rumor.

Compounding matters for the government is that the Burj became such a symbol of national pride that license plates were created in honor of the monument. In the year 2001, Dubai introduced the 4th series number plate. It has the Burj al Arab symbol, but due to conspiracy theories and controversies surrounding Burj Al Arab’s resemblance to the Christian cross, the Burj Al Arab symbol was removed without any explanation in the year 2004.

After that apparently any cars registered in Dubai, that have one of the older license plates which have an image of the Burj Al Arab on them, aren’t allowed to drive into Saudi Arabia.

I’ll be lounging by the pool, soaking up the desert heat, looking up “conspiracies in Dubai” to see what else is going on around here. Next week, I’ll show you where to sleep in Dubai. That will be a doozy - this place is equal parts crazy and awesome.

See you next Wednesday.

What did you think of Espresso Boarding?

Was this forwarded to you? Sign up to receive your own copy.
It’s free to subscribe.

Looking for previous destinations? They are safely located here.