Dubai's Burj Khalifa tower, the world's tallest skyscraper, is lit by fireworks during its opening ceremony on Monday. [Photo: sina.com.cn]

The world's tallest building, 828-metre-high "Burj Khalifa" is officially opened on Monday by Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai.

Sheikh Mohammad gave a brief speech at the opening ceremony, during which he renamed the building, formerly known as the Burj Dubai or the Dubai Tower, the "Burj Khalifa," after the United Arab Emirates president, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan.

Indebted Dubai hopes the world's tallest building could cater to growing numbers of tourists to the Gulf Arab emirate amid tight security.