Country already has world's tallest skyscraper, which is scheduled to be completed next year

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - With its world's tallest building nearing completion, Dubai said yesterday it is embarking on an even more ambitious skyscraper: one that will soar the length of more than 10 American football fields.

That's more than three of New York's Chrysler Buildings stacked end-to-end.

Babel had nothing on this place.

"This is unbelievably groundbreaking design," Chief Executive Chris O'Donnell said during a briefing at the company's sales centre, not far from the proposed site. "This still takes my breath away."

The tower, which will take more than a decade to complete, will be the centrepiece of a sprawling development state-owned builder Nakheel plans to create in the rapidly growing "New Dubai" section of the city.

Foundation work has already begun, O'Donnell said.

The area is located between two of the city's artificial palm-shaped islands, which Nakheel also built. The project will include a manmade inland harbour and 40 additional towers up to 90 floors high.

About 150 elevators will carry residents and workers to the Nakheel Tower's more than 200 floors, the company said.

As part of government-run conglomerate Dubai World, Nakheel has played a major role in creating modern-day Dubai, a city that has blossomed from a tiny Persian Gulf fishing and pearling village into a major business and tourism hub in a matter of decades.

Besides the growing archipelago of man-made islands for which it is best known, Nakheel is responsible for a number of the city's malls, hotels and hundreds of apartment buildings.

Dubai is already home to the world's tallest building, even if it remains unfinished. It's due to be finished next September.