DUBAI // Tourists continued to be turned away from the Burj Khalifa yesterday. Many wondered when authorities would explain why the tower's observation deck was closed, and when it might reopen.
Disappointed tourists who had booked online were told yesterday they could receive a refund only in person.
Saleem Adam, 36, a lawyer based in Abu Dhabi, had booked tickets for himself and friends visiting from Canada.
"I called the helpline and was advised that they do not know when the tower would reopen," Mr Adam said. "I asked whether it would be before Friday and they said they didn't know."
So he asked for a refund.
"I was advised that I'd have to come to the counter in Dubai to get a refund," he recounted. "I explained that I lived in Abu Dhabi and that the money was collected online from my credit card, so it should not be onerous to refund the money back now. I was told several times that to get a refund I'd have to appear in person."
Some visitors were told by staff at the 828-metre attraction that it would reopen next Sunday and that visitors had the option to rebook their visits or be issued "an immediate refund".
The Burj Khalifa's operator, Emaar, did not confirm that the tower would open next Sunday, nor did it shed more light on the reasons for the sudden closure.
On Sunday the viewing area on the 124th floor of the world's tallest tower was shut to the public until further notice, little more than a month after it opened, due to problems with the power supply, according to a statement.
Will Soons, 79, from Holland, wondered if he will have another chance, at his age, to get inside the tower. "It was the main thing we wanted to do here," he said.
He has now booked a night's stay at the Burj al Arab instead.
eharnan@thenational.ae
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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On sale: now
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