Dubai had hoped the Burj Khalifa would be a major tourist draw. Electrical problems are at least partly to blame for the closure of its viewing platform, the owner suggests.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - The world’s tallest skyscraper has unexpectedly closed to the public a month after its lavish opening, disappointing tourists headed for its observation deck and casting doubt over plans to welcome its first permanent occupants in the coming weeks.

Electrical problems are at least partly to blame for the closure of the Burj Khalifa’s viewing platform — the only part of the half-mile-tall tower to have opened yet — the spire’s owner suggested. It was unclear whether the rest of the building, including dozens of elevators meant to whisk visitors to the tower’s more than 160 floors, was affected by the shutdown.

The indefinite closure, which began Sunday, comes as Dubai struggles to revive its international image as a cutting-edge metropolis amid nagging questions about its financial health.

The Persian Gulf city-state had hoped the $1.5-billion Burj Khalifa would be a major tourist draw.

Dubai has promoted itself by wowing visitors with over-the-top attractions such as the Burj, which juts like a silvery needle out of the desert and can be seen from miles around.

In recent weeks, thousands of tourists have lined up to buy tickets for viewing times, often days in advance, for more than $27 apiece. Now many of those visitors, such as Wayne Boyes, a tourist from near Manchester, England, will get back in line for refunds.

“It’s just very disappointing,” said Boyes, 40, who showed up at the Burj with a ticket Monday. “The tower was one of my main reasons for coming here.”