THE first person to commit suicide from the Dubai building that boasts the world's tallest tower died yesterday after jumping from the 147th floor, police said.

The man, believed to be an employee in his 30s who worked at a company based in the Burj Khalifa, landed on a 108th-floor terrace after he leaped from an air vent. It was thought that he asked for time off before jumping but was refused.

"The police operations room received a call about a suicide at the Burj Khalifa [Tuesday], and ... investigation teams were immediately dispatched," Dubai Police said in a statement.

Some of the building's metal barriers were damaged as the man hit them during his fall, officials added.

The Burj Khalifa, which is 2,716.5 feet tall and has over 160 floors, holds several world records, including the highest occupied floor and the elevator with the longest travel distance.