The Burj Khalifa held its internationally publicized inaugural New Year's Eve fireworks celebration in 2010.
The event accompanied the building's official opening on January 4, 2010. At the time, the Burj Khalifa was the world's tallest building, and its height made the display particularly suited to global television coverage. Fireworks and lighting effects ran along the tower and around the Downtown Dubai development.
Because the opening ceremony occurred in January, sources can make the timeline confusing. The New Year's Eve celebration occurred at the transition from 2009 to 2010, while the official opening took place a few days later in January 2010. The answer therefore refers to the year welcomed by that first New Year's Eve display.
Dubai later developed the event into a major annual production using fireworks, LEDs, lasers, and choreographed music. The tower is often called the Khalifa Tower in Arabic contexts, but “Burj Khalifa” is the official English name used for the landmark.