Dubai plans tower taller than the Burj Khalifa

Developers in Dubai have unveiled plans for a new tower taller than the Burj Khalifa. Credit: PA Wire

Developers in Dubai have unveiled plans to build a new tower which it vows will be taller than the Burj Khalifa, currently the world's tallest structure.

The tower would include rotating balconies and elevated landscaping inspired by the mythical hanging gardens of Babylon.

Emaar Properties, the government-backed company behind the scheme, have yet to release the exact height of the building but say it will be "a notch" taller than the 2,717ft Burj Khalifa.

The new tower will not be a traditional skyscraper but more of a cable-supported spire containing "garden" observation decks graced with trees and other greenery.

The plans include rotating balconies and elevated landscaping inspired by the mythical hanging gardens of Babylon. Credit: PA Wire

The developer says it will also contain a boutique hotel, restaurants and glass balconies that rotate outside the wall of the tower.

Emaar chairman Mohamed Alabbar likened the structure, designed by Spanish-Swiss architect Santiago Calatrava Valls, to a 21st-century Eiffel Tower that can act as a magnet not just for tourists but also for property buyers willing to pay a premium for nearby apartments with a view.

It is due to open by the time Dubai hosts the World Expo in 2020.