The UAE entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest floral installation with the Emirates A380 arrangement at Dubai Miracle Garden, using 500,000 fresh flowers and living plants. - KT file photo
Dubai - The UAE holds 186 world records, with 139 held by Dubai
Published: Wed 6 Sep 2017, 3:01 PM
Last updated: Thu 7 Sep 2017, 11:44 AM
The most mechanical energy produced by pedalling on static bicycles in one hour, the largest flower arrangement and the largest standing lantern are just a few of the UAE record breakers included in the 2018 edition of the book Guinness World Records being released this week.
Speaking at the official book launch event at the Burj Khalifa - which itself holds 11 separate world records - Guinness World Records Mena country manager Talal Omar noted that the Middle East saw 96 record titles take place across the region in 2016.
As of April 2017, the UAE holds 186 Guinness World Records - with 139 of those held in Dubai. "That's a little bit of a drop. It was more than this in the past. However, records are gained and lost, so if you have a record and it's broken in South Korea or Sweden, you lose it and it goes to that country," he said. "It's a competition between countries."
The largest standing lantern in Sharjah's Souq Al Jubail
While people and organisations across the Middle East are constantly striving to break world records, Omar noted that record-breaking is particularly important in Dubai. "They always strive to be number one. That's what we feel when we speak to anyone from here," he said. "They want to compete and show they're a young country that is advancing very fast. It's impressive."
As an example, Omar noted that he often tells people that they can have a "record breaking journey" whenever they visit the emirate. "You land at the busiest airport in the world, and you take the the longest driverless network metro in the world," he noted. "You pass by Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower, the largest shopping mall The Dubai Mall, and past Ski Dubai the largest indoor ski (centre)."
"People break records for many different reasons. I've seen hundreds in my time at Guinness World Records," he added. "Sometimes it's people's dreams they want to fulfill. For others - and that's what we see here - it's a competition. You're proud of yourself and your country and you want to put it on the map. That's what we see here in the region. It's a very positive thing."
Some UAE Records in the 2018 Edition
. Most mechanical energy produced by pedalling on a static bicycle in one hour - broken by 300 participants who produced 8,999 watt hours of energy at Burj Park, Dubai
. Largest Stencil - 11.13 square metres, unveiled at Middle East Film &Comic Con, Dubai
. Largest Flower Arrangement: 72.95 x 78.34 x 21.91 metre Airbus A380 at Dubai Miracle Garden
. Largest Standing Lantern - 13.09 metres high, 5 metres wide, displayed at an event by Sharjah Asset Management
. Most Table-Tennis Ball bounces on a racket in one minute, blindfolded - 27 by French national Alexandre Mitterand at GWR Live! event at Etisalat Beach Canteen in Dubai.
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Globally, among the new and unique records unveiled in the 2018 edition of the book are the longest fingernails (18 feet, 10.9 inches), the oldest bodybuilder (83 years and six days), the longest eyelash (12.40 cm) and the cat with the longest tail (44.66 cm).
When asked if he had a favourite regional record, Omar said he is more inspired by the person who breaks the record. "You listen to their story, and you see the passion they have and dedication to do this," he said. "It's the act itself... we're very privileged to live with these people from the time its a dream, to when they achieve it."
Looking to the future, Omar said that the Guinness World Record hopes to soon release an Arabic-language edition. "The Middle East didn't grow up with the book. If you lived in the West, it's probably a Christmas gift," he said. "But over here, I and others remember the TV more than the book. But now we want the book here to encourage everyone and probably discover their potential and compete with the rest of the world. Hopefully, we will have an Arabic edition out next year."
bernd@khaleejtimes.com
The man who gets to make and break records
Bernd Debusmann Jr.
Samer Khallouf, a 30-year old Syrian national, has what is undoubtedly one of the most interesting jobs in the world: Guinness World Records Adjudicator.
Since joining Guinness World Records in 2013, Khallouf has travelled to 11 countries to judge and verify some of the world's most interesting record titles. "It's an interesting job. I was very lucky to be headhunted for this job," he told Khaleej Times. "I was interviewed for the position and after a very tough round of interviews and intense training for three months, I qualified to be an adjudicator."
Among his favourite records he has adjudicated in the UAE is that of Emil and Liliana Schmid, a Swiss couple who have been on the road since 1984 - the world's longest journey driven.
"They started 30 years ago, in a car, and they're still visiting every country in the world," he recalled. "They had a stop here in Dubai where they wanted us to review their evidence. They're still on the move. It's interesting to see two people living in the same car - they left everything behind and they're just living and traveling the world."
Another favourite of Khallouf's was Frenchman Alain Robert, more popularly known as "Spiderman". holding the record for most buildings climbed externally by a person. He has climbed 121 buildings, including some of Dubai's most notable skyscrapers. "Robert suffers from vertigo but climbs unassisted," Khallouf said. "He climbed the (828 metre) Burj Khalifa and the (306 metre) Cayan Tower."
"Robert shook hands with me and he just took off," Khallouf recalled. "He was wearing nothing but his pants, shoes and a t-shirt, and he just started climbing."
Khallouf added that the Guinness World Records receives 50,000 record proposals a year from around the globe. "Not many become record holders, only about five percent," he noted. "We are very open to considering proposals for new record ideas, as long as its measurable and breakable. We open new record categories every day, and after that we create record guidelines. We do our research."
bernd@khaleejtimes.com
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