Burj Khalifa, the tallest building of the world, is expected to remain half empty this year which could weaken the commercial prospectus of the building launched in the midst of fireworks in Dubai this week.

The tower had been renamed to Burj Khalifa in a tribute to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan, the ruler of Abu Dhabi. The move has been regarded as a thankful gesture to Abu Dhabi for its $25bn loan sectioned to UAE for meeting its financial obligations in the backdrop of Dubai World Crisis.

Tom Barry, Chief Executive of Arabtec, which was one of the three main contractors on the tower, said, "This is no humiliation for Dubai. It is about Emaar honouring the ruler of the UAE, who also happens to be the ruler of Abu Dhabi."

Property professionals have dismissed the claim made by the developer Emaar Properties regarding the sale of 90 per cent commercial space available in the sky scraper. They said that that global financial crisis and Dubai's financial downturn would play a significant role to determine the commercial viability of the sky-touching building.

Jess Downs, director of research and advisory services at property agent Landmark Advisory, Dubai, said, "I wouldn't expect occupancy to go above 50% in the first six to 12 months."