The Index
A 328-metre skyscraper whose entire shape is an argument against air conditioning.
Coming soon on iOS — be first to walk Dubai offline.
The Index is oriented precisely east-west so its concrete cores at each end block the low-angle morning and evening sun. The result: in peak Dubai summer, internal temperatures stay below 28°C without AC running. It won the 2011 Best Tall Building Middle East & Africa award from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat — a building whose climate engineering is inseparable from its form.
What to look for
- The two concrete cores anchoring the east and west ends — the passive sun shields that define the tower's silhouette
- The south facade's layered sun shades, the only side exposed to high-angle midday sun
- The double-height sky lobby mid-tower, which marks where offices end and residential floors begin
The tower is primarily offices (floors 5–29) and residential (floors 31–77); visitor access is not described in public sources, so confirm before making a dedicated trip.
The Index is one of 33 sights worth the detour in Dubai, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Dubai pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Dubai
- Burj KhalifaHalf a mile of reinforced concrete, straight up — the tallest structure on Earth since 2009.
- Burj al-ArabA hotel shaped like a dhow sail, planted on its own man-made island 280 meters off the beach.
- Dubai MallIn 2023 it drew a record 105 million visitors — up 19 percent year-on-year from the 88 million recorded the year before.
- 23 MarinaFifty-seven swimming pools stacked into one tower — and since 2026, visible war damage on the skyline.
- Palm JumeirahSand and stone stacked on the Persian Gulf to form a palm shape — only legible from the air, and reportedly still sinking 5 mm every year.
- Rose Tower (Rose Rayhaan by Rotana)A 333-metre hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road that actually outreaches the Burj Al Arab — and most people walk past it.