'World's tallest building' rising in UAE

CHICAGO, May 26 (UPI) -- A skyscraper in the oil-rich United Arab Emirates, now under construction, reportedly will be the world's tallest building when finished.

The Burj Dubai, as it is called, conceived as a city within a city, will be more than 2,000 feet tall, according to the tower's architect, Adrian Smith of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill of Chicago.

The project plan is to combine residential, commercial, hotel, entertainment and retail facilities, according to the developer, Emaar Properties of Dubai, the Chicago Tribune said.

Engineers from Skidmore say the skyscraper will have a Y-shaped floor plan and a classic, setback profile designed to lessen the wind's impact on the building.

The current holder of the world's tallest title is the 1,667-foot Taipei 101 in Taiwan. It took the title in April from the 1,483-foot Petronas Towers in Malaysia, which in 1996 topped the 1,450-foot Sears Tower, designed by Skidmore's Chicago office.