Published: January 14, 2009

Construction on World's Tallest Building Halts in Dubai

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Construction work on the Nakheel Tower, which is destined to become the world's tallest high-rise, has been suspended for a period of 12 months, Nakheel announced Wednesday morning, according to the United Arab Emirates' daily The National.

With 200 floors, the building is expected to soar to more than one kilometer (0.62 miles) high.

The worldwide economic crisis has not skipped the UAE countries and their giant construction companies. Already last year, Nakheel announced it was delaying several of its flagship projects, including the Trump International Hotel and Tower, in addition to shedding 500 jobs.

The company has recently fired more employees as a result of its decision to freeze work on the Nakheel Tower, a senior project manager told The National.

Meanwhile, an average of 1,500 work permits and visas are being cancelled in Dubai each day, as companies lay off employees following the global crisis, the Saudi-based daily ArabNews reports.

Dubai's Ministry of Labor began seeing a rise in the cancellation of visas late October 2008, an official at the ministry told the paper, adding that on some days, "we cancel more than 2,000 permits."

The global crisis, which has affected Dubai's real estate sector, has resulted in an unprecedented number of complaints from foreign workers who have been fired and not been paid.

After their cases are settled, they too will lose their work permits and will be forced to leave Dubai, the ministry official told ArabNews.

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