Fact Check: Viral claim of Burj khalifa not displaying Pak flag on August 14 is false

On the Independence Day of India, Pakistan, and other countries, the iconic Burj Khalifa illuminates its facade with the national flags of the countries.

After India and Pakistan celebrated their 77th independence from British colonial rule on 14 and 15 August respectively, multiple social media users and reports claimed that the Burj Khalifa did not light up in the colors of the Pakistani flag this year.

An X user shared the image of the Burj Khalifa displaying the Indian flag and wrote, “After disappointing #Pakistan for not putting their flag on @burj #BurjKhalifa on #PakistanIndependenceDay it is lit with #Tricolour. Same history same struggle but it's what INDIA chose to be post 1947 that made all the Difference. Happy #IndependenceDayIndia #IndependenceDay.”

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the Pakistan national flag was displayed on Burj Khalifa on the evening of August 14. The fake claim is being made after a video went in which a woman can be heard expressing disappointment over Burj Khalifa not displaying the Pakistan national flag on midnight of August 14.

We ran a relevant keyword search and came across a report by Free Press Journal, which said Pakistani nationals were disappointed after the Burj Khalifa didn’t display the Pakistan flag at midnight on their Independence Day. The report cited a video posted on X where an alleged Pakistan national expressed her disappointment.

She could be heard saying, “The time is 12:01 am now and the Dubai officials have informed that Pakistan's national flag won't be displayed on Burj Khalifa.”

However, we came across a report by Daily Pakistan, which said the World’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, was lit up in the Pakistani flag’s colors.

Further, we checked the official account of Burj Khalifa on Instagram. On August 14, we found a video posted, which showed the tower displaying Pakistan’s flag. The caption read, “Burj Khalifa lights up to celebrate The Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s Independence Day. Wishing the people of Pakistan a day filled with pride, unity, and prosperity as you celebrate the rich heritage and achievements of your great nation. May the future hold even greater success and happiness for all Pakistanis. Happy Independence Day!”

However, the congratulatory message displayed on the tower stated, “Happy 76th Independence Day of Pakistan”, triggering confusion about the timing of the video. Clarifying the doubt of an Instagram user in the comment section, the account said Pakistan’s flag was displayed at 7:50 PM on August 14 this year.

Hence, we conclude that the claim that Burj Khalifa did not display the Paksitan flag this year on August 14 is false.