One Za'abeel

«We needed an object that physically connects Old Dubai and New Dubai — literally a bridge in the sky.»

— ITHRA DUBAI · DEVELOPER STATEMENT

The idea of One Za'abeel originated within Ithra Dubai — the development arm of Investment Corporation of Dubai. The Za'abeel site was chosen strategically: precisely at the boundary between the historic city centre (Bur Dubai, Deira) and the new financial cluster DIFC. The brief was not simply another skyscraper but an architectural link between two eras of Dubai. The team commissioned Tokyo-based Nikken Sekkei — one of Japan's oldest and largest firms, known for Tokyo Skytree and Nakanoshima Festival Tower.

Nikken Sekkei's concept: two towers of different heights (305m and 235m) joined by a horizontal structure called The Link at roughly 100 metres above ground. The Link is a five-storey 'sky bridge' 226 metres long, of which 96 metres are pure cantilever — unsupported. Structural engineering was led by AE7. The team tested aerodynamics in wind tunnels in Canada and Australia: at this length and height, even mild wind would cause oscillation unacceptable for a hotel and restaurants inside.

The solution was passive tuned mass dampers (TMD) — the same family of system used in Taipei 101 and Burj Khalifa. Inside The Link sit restaurants, an observation deck with infinity pool, a conference centre, and Hilton hotel rooms.

Construction was executed by a JV of ALEC and Six Construct. The hardest part was lifting The Link. The 226-metre steel structure was assembled at ground level and then lifted using strand jacks — the same systems used to raise stadium roofs in Qatar for the World Cup. The lift took 12 days in September 2020. Once The Link was placed onto temporary supports at the two towers, only final welds remained. Then the supports were removed — and the structure has hung in the air on two points ever since.