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Dubai's Burj Azizi to get KONE lifts with 631.5m continuous journey

Lift maker KONE says Dubai's Burj Azizi tower will have AI-enabled, double-decker elevators, including a continuous ride of about 631.5m (2,071ft). UK outlets differ on whether it is the world's longest.

2 outlets · 1L · 0C · 1R First reported Account updated
Image: Daily Mail
Image: Metro

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The story, neutrally told

KONE, the elevator manufacturer, has announced that Dubai's Burj Azizi skyscraper will feature a continuous elevator journey of 631.5m (2,071ft), equivalent to 140 floors, according to the Daily Mail. The Daily Mail calls this one of the longest single lift rides on Earth, while Metro says the tower is expected to have the longest elevator in the world, citing KONE. Both outlets say the lifts rely on KONE's lightweight UltraRope hoisting technology, which avoids the weight of conventional steel ropes and cables that normally limit travel in very tall buildings.

The Daily Mail adds that UltraRope, introduced in 2013, has a carbon fibre core with a high-friction coating and weighs about a fifth of a similar steel rope, and that the system also uses wireless power and data transfer and battery-based power, cutting installation weight by around 3,000kg in a building with 300m of travel. AI-based traffic management is meant to cut waiting times: KONE says rush-hour journey times could fall by up to 60 per cent, per the Daily Mail, and Metro adds that the lifts will have 24/7 connectivity so potential faults can be spotted before they cause disruption. The Daily Mail says double-decker cars can carry more passengers using fewer shafts, freeing expensive floor space for developers.

The tower is under construction on Sheikh Zayed Road between Downtown Dubai and the Dubai World Trade Centre. Metro puts its height at 2,379ft and the cost at about £1.2bn (around AED 6bn), with more than 130 floors; the Daily Mail gives 2,378ft (725m). Metro reports that construction began in 2024 with completion expected by 2028, and that the mixed-use tower will include a seven-star hotel, apartments, penthouses, a vertical retail centre, an observation deck, an adrenaline zone, a beach club, a ballroom and the world's highest hotel lobby. KONE chief executive Philippe Delorme said skylines are heading beyond a kilometre in height and called Burj Azizi a leader among supertall multi-use buildings. Pascal Nassour, KONE's Senior Vice President of Global Major Projects, said the same solutions could serve more buildings passing the one-kilometre mark.

Mirwais Azizi, founder and chairman of Azizi Developments, said the investment of more than AED 6bn is a commitment to elevating Dubai's skyline.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on.

Left1 outlet

Framing
Metro leads on a luxury megaproject: cost, rank behind the Burj Khalifa and amenities, with the lift as the headline feature and a London skyscraper comparison.
Emphasis
The £1.2bn price, the hotel and leisure facilities, the 2028 completion date and the developer's quote.
Leaves out or plays down
Gives no length for the continuous ride and does not describe the wireless power or the 60% rush-hour saving.
Charged language
“luxury new skyscraper”“seven-star hotel”
For example
“will launch the longest elevator ever, and it” — Metro

Centre0 outlets

No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Right1 outlet

Framing
The Daily Mail presents it as a technology explainer led by the ride length and KONE's claims, with a Shard comparison.
Emphasis
The 631.5m journey, how the technology works, the 60% rush-hour saving and KONE executives' quotes.
Leaves out or plays down
Omits cost, completion date and the tower's amenities; its headline says 2,000ft while the text says 2,071ft.
Charged language
“staggering”“Going up!”
For example
“If you think the lift to the top of The Shard is a long ride, spare a thought for future visitors to Dubai's Burj Azizi.” — Daily Mail