Dubai’s Burj Al Arab Plans Dramatic New North Deck

Burj Al Arab

Remember when tennis legends Roger Federer and Andre Agassi played a match at 692 feet in the air from the Burj Al Arab’s helipad? The luxurious all-suite Dubai hotel has been in the spotlight since it opened in 1999. Designed to resemble a billowing sail above an artificial island in the Persian Gulf, the towering hotel is a dramatic landmark on the city’s skyline. And come spring, the Burj Al Arab will unveil a big new addition: a 10,000-square-meter “North Deck” that’s suspended 100 meters over the water.

As reported by The Telegraph, this steel deck will “radically alter” the building’s silhouette. The official website notes that it will fan outwards to accommodate 32 cabanas, 400 sun loungers, a freshwater pool, a salt water pool, a restaurant and a bar. Built in a Finnish shipyard, the deck weighs a whopping 5,000 tons and is currently being shipped by sea in six different sections.

Facilities at the all-suite hotel—a flagship for Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts currently include four swimming pools, a private beach and nine restaurants and bars.