40,000 construction workers on strike in UAE

The workers employed with of Arabtec, Dubai's largest construction company involved in many prestigious projects like Burj Dubai, went on strike at its 36 labour camps all across the UAE on November 1, demanding a salary rise of Dh200 (Rs 2000). Strikes are illegal in the UAE. Some 4,500 migrant workers, most of them Indian, downed tools last week, but finally the issue was resolved.

Madinat Al-Hareer - Project to Build World's Tallest Building

The Burj Mubarak Al-Kabir, part of the Madinat Al-Hareer (City of Silk), is planned to soar to a height of 1,001 meters (3,284 ft). Madinat Al-Hareer is an $86 billion dollar project that will include not only the skyscraper but an airport and an expansive desert preserve. The tower will take approximately 25 years to complete.

U.S. Bank Tower

The U.S. Bank Tower (Library Tower, First Interstate World Center) at 633 West Fifth Street in downtown Los Angeles, California, United States is the eighth tallest building in the US, the tallest North American skyscraper west of Chicago, the tallest building in California, and the tallest building with a helipad on the roof (required by the city building code). Standing 1,018 feet (310 m) high, it is also one of the tallest in the world (28th as of 2008). Until the construction of Taipei 101, it was also the tallest structure in a major active seismic region; its structure was designed to resist an earthquake of 8.3 on the Richter Scale. It consists of 73 stories above ground and two parking levels below ground. Construction was started in 1987 and was completed in 1989. The building was designed by Henry N. Cobb of the architectural firm Pei Cobb Freed & Partners and cost $350 million to build. It is one of the most recognizable buildings[citation needed] in Los Angeles, often used in establishing shots for the city in films and television programs.

Two Prudential Plaza

Two Prudential Plaza is a skyscraper that was built in Chicago in 1990. At 303 m (995 ft) tall, it is the fifth-tallest building in Chicago and the eleventh tallest in the United States. The building was designed by the firm Loebl, Schlossman & Hackl, with Stephen T. Wright as the principal in charge of design. It has also been honored with 8 awards, including winning the Best Structure Award from the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois in 1995.

Tuntex Sky Tower

Tuntex Sky Tower, or the T & C Tower , 85 SKYTOWER, is an 85-floor skyscraper located in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. Situated in the downtown Ling Ya district the structure is 348 m (1140 feet) high. An antenna pushes the building height to 378 m. The building was constructed from 1994 to 1996 and opened in 1997. It is the tallest in Kaohsiung, and was the tallest in Taiwan until the completion of Taipei 101. It replaced the Shin Kong Life Tower (244.2 m, 801 ft) as the tallest building in Taiwan when it was completed.

The tower has an unusual 'prong' design with two separate 35-floor sections, these merge into a single central tower rising to a spire. This unique design leaves a substantial space below the central part of the tower. The design was inspired by the Chinese character Kao (or Gao ?), meaning "tall," and also the first character in the city's name.

Shun Hing Square

Shun Hing Square is a tall high-rise building or skyscraper in Shenzhen, China. Its structural height is 384 m (1,260 ft) and has 69 stories. It was completed in 1996 and for one year (from 1996 till 1997), it was the tallest building in China until Guangzhou's CITIC Plaza was completed. It now ranks fourth in China and ninth worldwide in the high-rise ranking.

Shimao International Plaza

Shimao International Plaza is a 333 m (1,093 ft) tall office skyscraper of 60 stories in Shanghai. It was completed in 2005 under the design of Ingenhoven, Overdiek und Partner, East China Architecture and Design Institute.

Shimao International Plaza has two spires on its top, which make its total construction height to 333.3 metres. The building is used for offices, while the top floors house the five-star, ultra-luxurious Le Royal Méridien Shanghai.