Watch: Jaw-dropping stunts by UAE, Arab athletes at Guinness World Records

Records are meant to be broken, and this year's Guinness World Records Day celebration was no different. Guinness World Records celebrated its 21st edition on November 16, 2025, showcasing extraordinary feats from around the world.

Among this year’s Arab world achievements is Lebanese athlete Samer Madi. The professional fitness trainer set a record for the longest duration holding a straddle human flag on a flying helicopter, maintaining the position for 21 seconds at Rene Mouawad Air Base. Samer trained for this feat by practising the position while hanging from moving cars, trucks, and high-rise buildings.

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In the UAE, Abdullah Al Hattawi rode his quad bike while Ammar Alkhudairi balanced on his head and performed sole-juggling football touches, achieving 23 repetitions to break the record title for Most football sole touches on a moving quad bike in 30 seconds (team of two).

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Together, the duo holds 14 Guinness World Records titles, including the longest duration driving a quad bike on wheelie on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai (60 km in 2018), and the Most consecutive football touches while paragliding, with 127 touches achieved over Sharjah in 2023.

Hamed Al Shehhi broke the record for the fastest 1km while juggling a football, completing it in 7 minutes 13 seconds. Both duos and individuals hold multiple GWR titles, including feats on Sheikh Zayed Road and paragliding stunts.

Jordan’s Abdulrahman Makhlouf, who has no lower limbs, balanced on his wheelchair using two fingers from each hand for 30.51 seconds, also breaking the record for most pull-ups in one minute from a wheelchair. Fellow Jordanian athlete Yaser Zeyad smashed five wooden mallets with his hands in 30 seconds.

In Syria, Yazan Saleh performed 360-degree rotations while suspended by his teeth, adding to his 12-record tally.

Globally, records included China’s highest bicycle backflip (2.9 m by 13-year-old Liu Haoran), Japan’s most drink cans attached to the body via air suction (25 cans by Shunichi Kanno), New York’s largest female afro (Jessica Martinez), and the UK’s fastest climb and descent of The O2 (Josh Patterson, 4 min 40.79 sec).

This year, GWR also unveiled the 2026 edition of its annual book, featuring 2,247 new or updated records. More than 48,000 applicants submitted record attempts worldwide over the past year.

Will Manford, GWR official adjudicator, said, “The achievements from around the world demonstrate the diversity of skills and the shared ambition to inspire others.”

Craig Glenday, editor-in-chief of GWR, added, "While we take pride in our history, our focus is on today’s and tomorrow’s record-breakers. I want readers to treat the 2026 book as a guide to becoming part of history. Everyone has the potential to be the best in the world at something, and this book is the key."

Ajanta Paul

Senior Editor

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ajanta@khaleejtimes.com

Ajanta Paul is a Senior Editor on the Digital team. A natural leader and newshound, she thrives in breaking news and high-pressure situations — and enjoys reporting on community issues that matter to UAE residents.