View to a thrill

On Saturday 21 July 2007, at 141 storeys and 512 metres high, the Burj Dubai officially became the world's tallest building. Two days later, editor James Bennett, photographer Ayaad Damouni and the Arabian Business team were given unprecedented access to the mega-tower, scaling its full height - and allowed to take photographs from the highest point of any structure on the planet.

The trip to the top

12.30pm The thought of being 141 storeys (1680 feet) high is beginning to take my breath away, and that of the entire Arabian Business editorial team. We turn a sharp left into the Burj Dubai construction site - a melée of trucks, blue-overalled workers and Portakabins surrounds us as we continue to drive down the sandy track towards the impossible-to-miss tower. Minutes away from the building we all swivel round simultaneously to see an enormous hoarding alerting us to the fact that the Burj has reached a gigantic 141 floors. "Do we have to go up there?" says one person nervously biting his fingernails. "Yes we do, and when you get to the top, you'll be glad you did what you're about to do," someone replies.

1.00pm We are greeted by an Emaar PR representative who guides us past the main security gate and into the site office to collect bullet-silver coloured hard hats and a much needed bottle of Masafi. "You'll need this up there, it's going to be hot." We all sigh collectively. One team member goes to his car to check the temperature, 47 degrees, the second hottest day of the year so far. Great. We all sweat in silence, eager to climb the tower Emaar chairman Mohammed Ali Alabbar labelled "a human achievement without equal". 25 minutes later we would find out just why he was right.

1.05pm "Change your shoes please, then sit down and listen carefully," booms the voice of Emaar's chief site supervisor. "Call me Muckti for short. Did you know it's going to be a hot one? You might want to take your jackets off?" We all nod silently. "We've heard that somewhere before," we say already pouring with sweat.

1.06pm Safety first - the supervisor briefs us in one of the site's many Portakabins. The air is as thin indoors as it is outdoors. Muckti explains the dangers involved in going to the top of the world's tallest building. "There is to be absolutely no smoking, keep your hard hats on, do not lean over the edges and if you are afraid of heights I would stay seated if I were you." He adds that paramedics are on call 24 hours a day. Colourful posters are spread around the training room with text translated in three languages: Arabic, English, and Urdu.

"Now can you all please sign this liability form before we leave in case anything happens." We all sign but only a few of us get up willingly.

"Any questions?" Muckti asks as we walk towards the express hoist lift. No one answers as we all stare skywards to the top of the tower, shrouded by clouds.

1.15pm The walk to the express lift is longer than we first thought. Initially we climb up a short set of stairs only to be led downwards into the darkness of the Burj's basement. This huge space is temporarily being used as a materials storage centre, but in just under 18 months time, when the project is opened for business with a glamorous party planned on New Year's Eve 2008, it will be converted into an incredible 30,000 parking spaces to cater for the massive amount of residents and guests it will occupy.

I'm now sweating so much my glasses slide off the bridge of my nose.

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