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Watch: 3 UAE expat skydivers unfurl Indian flag at 13,000ft in world record feat
The trio joined 65 skydivers in a high-risk jump over Libya, where they had to control large flags, avoid entanglement and land in a designated zone
- PUBLISHED: Sat 15 Aug 2026, 1:32 PM UPDATED: Sat 15 Aug 2026, 2:33 PM
At 13,000 feet above Benghazi, three UAE-based Indians jumped from an aircraft, opened their parachutes and unfurled the Indian Tricolour mid-air, while dozens of other skydivers did the same with their national flags.
What made the jump especially risky was what followed. They had to control the large flags, avoid any entanglement with their parachutes, maintain a safe distance from other skydivers and finally land inside a designated camera-covered zone for the Guinness World Record attempt to count.
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Jamsheer Thanalot, Abhishek Rawat and Isha Raj were among 65 skydivers who completed the attempt in Benghazi, Libya. The group included participants from around 38 nationalities, with about 35 different national flags flying through the sky during the jump.
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The attempt took place on August 7, but the celebrations had to wait. Guinness World Records reviewed the evidence before confirming the record days later, just ahead of India's Independence Day.
For the three UAE-based Indians, the timing made the achievement even more special. "It is a very proud feeling for us. There were people from so many countries and we were there representing India," Jamsheer told Khaleej Times.
A sleepless night before the jump
But hours before he flew the Indian flag over Benghazi, Jamsheer was not even sure whether he would make it to the final attempt.
The Dubai-based businessman had travelled to Libya specifically for the event and spent about five days there. Participants had to complete three training and qualification jumps before the record attempt.
"I told my wife before going that there was a chance I might not be able to participate in the final jump. It was high-risk and there was always a possibility of being disqualified during the qualification jumps," he said.
The pressure followed him to bed the night before the attempt. Jamsheer said he managed only around three hours of sleep. When he checked his smartwatch, his sleep score was just 12 per cent.
"I couldn't sleep properly. It was the same feeling for many of us. We knew how important and challenging the next day was going to be," he said.
Watch the Indian tricolour unfurls during the record-setting skydive:
There was another reason for his nervousness. Some of the skydivers around him had far more experience. "There were people with 1,000 jumps, 5,000 jumps and even 10,000 jumps. Compared to them, I am still new to the sport," said Jamsheer, who has completed more than 320 jumps.
Once he was cleared for the final attempt, however, there was little room for nerves. After jumping from the aircraft, the skydivers had to first deploy their parachutes safely before opening their large national flags. With dozens of people descending at the same time, each participant had to constantly watch the space around them.
"The flag or its lines cannot get tangled with the parachute. At the same time, you have to keep a safe distance from the other skydivers and make sure you reach the correct landing area," said Jamsheer.
Landing was particularly important. The participants had to touch down inside the designated area covered by cameras so that their jumps could be verified as part of the record attempt. "Even a small mistake could create a serious situation," he said.
From Dh1,200 salesman to record holder
For Jamsheer, completing the jump was another milestone in a UAE journey that began 15 years ago with a very different job. The Kannur native arrived in the UAE in 2011 and started working as a salesman earning Dh1,200 a month.
He later worked in sales and service jobs before starting his own e-commerce business, Jazp.com, in Dubai.
Skydiving entered his life only around four years ago. Since then, he has completed more than 320 jumps in the UAE and other countries, including Russia and Kuwait.
He has also competed in the sport. Jamsheer said his team won a gold medal at a skydiving competition in Kuwait last year and finished third at another competition in Dubai.
He credits Emirati skydiver Saif Mattar, his team manager and trainer, for trusting him enough to invite him for the record attempt.
"Saif knows me very well because he has trained me. His confidence in me was one of the reasons I got this opportunity," said Jamsheer.
Three UAE Indians make history
Jamsheer was not alone in representing India. Abhishek Rawat, from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, and Isha Raj, from Patna in Bihar, who live in Abu Dhabi, also took part in the record-setting jump.
Rawat works as a Product Design Lead at Malaffi in Abu Dhabi, while Raj is an account director at Edelman Smithfield in Abu Dhabi. Both are experienced skydivers.
Jamsheer described Rawat as one of the more experienced members of the Indian group and said his experience was valuable during the attempt.
Watch Abhishek Rawat, Jamsheer Thanalot and Isha Raj moments before jumping from 13,000 feet:
The event was organised by Skydive Benghazi, Ultimate High by Yas, Saif Matar, Yasen, CEO of Skydive Benghazi, Nithin and Juan Mayer.
Jamsheer said the jump itself was not timed to coincide with India's Independence Day. The Guinness confirmation came only after the evidence from the attempt had been checked.
That confirmation arriving just before August 15 gave the three Indians another reason to celebrate. After jumping thousands of times between them and travelling to Libya for one of their most challenging attempts, the three UAE residents returned with a record and the memory of watching the Indian tricolour fly at 13,000 feet.
SM Ayaz Zakir is a Senior Correspondent with a flair for extraordinary stories. His playground? Every corner of the UAE. He often ventures into remote corners of the country to capture compelling news and human interest stories.