Dubai Burj Khalifa: Ramadan fast 'lasts longer high up' Published duration 7 August 2011

image caption A drawback of the high-life?

Muslims living in the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, should fast longer during the Ramadan holy month, Dubai's leading clerics have said.

During Ramadan, Muslims are supposed to not eat or drink between dawn and dusk.

"Burj Khalifa is almost one km (0.6 miles) high, which means people in higher floors can still see the sun after it has set on the ground," Ahmed Abdul Aziz al-Haddad told Reuters.

He said they should break their fast two minutes after those on the ground.

Another Dubai cleric, Mohammed al-Qubaisi, has been quoted as saying that people living above the 80th floor should fast for an extra two minutes, while those on the 150th floor and higher should wait for three more minutes before eating or drinking.

The 828m- (2,716ft-) high Burj Khalifa has 160 floors and was opened in 2010.

The clerics say there are ancient precedents in Islamic law.

Mr Qubaisi said that under such rulings, people living on mountains should also break their fast after those at ground level.

Ramadan began last week.