Dubai: Alexander Gansel, 44, living in Kaiserslautern, a south-west German city, and his wife Bianca, 39, a banking specialist in Germany, celebrate ten years of their marriage today.

Now, what is so special about this, you may ask.

Well, this is the couple that created history when Burj Khalifa was unveiled. Besides the fact that they were among the first batch of visitors to be at the top of the tallest tower in the world, Alexander decided to propose to his girlfriend of five years At The Top.

“Bianca, das ist ein ganz besonderer moment und ich möchte dich fragen, ob du mich heiraten möchtest (Bianca, this is a very special moment and I’d like to ask if you will marry me),” Alexander had said, minutes after stepping onto the observatory of Burj Khalifa. He was 32 then.

And Bianca, then 28, said “Ja” (yes).

Alexander and Bianca, who were on a six-day tour of Dubai, became the first couple to get engaged at Burj Khalifa.

Speaking to Gulf News on Wednesday, Alexander said: “I don’t know what got into me, but I felt like proposing to Bianca. It was spontaneous. We were in love and I could not think of a better place to propose to the love of my life,” he said.

Alexander, who is the founder of a consulting company, recalled he did not have a ring at the time when he proposed to Bianca on Burj Khalifa. He later rushed to the Gold Souq in Deira and secretly bought a diamond ring for her. The couple ended the day with a dinner at Burj Al Arab where he had the ring delivered with a bundle of roses — while a pianist played a Frank Sinatra tune.

Eleven years since that day in January 2010, the couple are happily married. They have two beautiful daughters, Emily Lea, 9, and Marlene Emma, 6.

Alexander reached out to Gulf News ahead of the couple’s tenth wedding anniversary.

“We will be returning to Dubai 12 years since our engagement. Dubai is a city close to our heart. It has all the positive energy and vibes. Bianca and I are planning a trip from February 19 to 26, 2022, with our daughters. We will head to Burj Khalifa again and I will show my girls the exact spot where I proposed to their mother. It will be a very special moment.”

The family will be taking a cruise trip covering Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Muscat.

“Dubai is special to us and will always remain that way. We are so happy to hear such good reports about the city despite a pandemic. I am so proud to hear how the UAE has managed the pandemic so well. We want our daughters to see Dubai, the city where it all happened for us,” said Bianca.