Nakheel

As Michael Owen swooped over Dubai in a helicopter to promote property, he may have seen the half-built Boris Becker Business Tower below.

Dubai’s rapid expansion in recent years provided jobs for millions. But the global financial meltdown has abruptly ended the dream for many people.

Dubai laid claim to a record on Sunday with a multibillion-dollar plan to build the world’s tallest tower in the face of deepening financial gloom.