World’s tallest building in Dubai doubles as coronavirus ‘donation box’

May 12, 2020

The world’s tallest building now functions as the world’s tallest donation box, raising millions in coronavirus relief while lighting up the night sky in Dubai. 

In what organizers describe as “a dazzling display of social solidarity and cohesion,” for every light purchased along the Burj Khalifa’s facade, a meal will be provided to someone in need. Residents of the United Arab Emirates and around the world could purchase a light for 10 dirhams ($2.70) each — the cost of one meal for a low-income worker. 

A week after the fundraiser’s launch, every one of the 1.2 million lights on the 2,717-foot tall building was sold. Donations poured in from individuals of 115 different nationalities, organizers said. 

“The initiative allowed donors to see the direct impact of their contributions through the lights they shine on the world’s tallest building, which symbolizes the rays of hope their acts of giving bring to people’s lives at this critical time,” said Khaled Al Shehhi, manager of the initiative. 

The Burj Khalifa project is part of an ongoing fundraising effort to provide 10 million meals to residents struggling due to the coronavirus. The humanitarian campaign was launched by Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, who is also vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates.