Sitting pretty on the Burj Khalifa

DUBAI – He’s the man who lives on top of the world – or at least he feels he does.

Bavaguthu Raghuram Shetty’s new address is “100th floor, Burj Dubai.” 


It is, he notes, “a unique address that the world will recognise.”

Expect that when the tower was officially launched yesterday, it was renamed Burj Khalifa – after the president of the United Arab Emirates and emir of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan. (See separate story).

Shetty, the founder and managing director of the New Medical Centre (NMC) group of hospitals, bought the entire 100th floor of the world’s tallest tower in Dubai.

He intends to turn the property into guest houses for friends and family.

“We can see everything as if you are on the top of the world,” he said.

The Indian expatriate told The National newspaper in Abu Dhabi he purchased the 100th floor for Dh3,000 (US$860) per square foot a few years ago. At more than 15,000 square feet, the sale price for the 100th floor would have been in the neighbourhood of Dh45m (US$12 million)

Shetty also owns apartments on the 141st floor which he plans to convert into business offices. 

“I have been getting a lot of offers from buyers who are willing to buy this property for a lot more money,” he said. 



“However, I will never sell this property. It is the tallest tower in the world now and I would like to be associated with it.”