18 of the UAE's most impressive world records
This list of accomplishments will blow your mind whilst inspiring once-in-a-lifetime experiences to enjoy with your family or friends.
The Burj Khalifa towers over Downtown Dubai at a staggering 830 meters. It is one of the World's most iconic structures, drawing visitors from around the World. The building, which encompasses 163 floors, took six years to construct—from January 2004 to January 2010. It features observation decks, restaurants, a luxurious swimming pool, and the fashion-forward Armani Hotel Dubai. Perfect for tourists and locals alike, visitors can head to The Lounge for a dining experience high in the clouds.
Dubai's Hatta Sign smashed its way into the Guinness World Records book in September 2023. Perched atop the Hajar Mountains, the 'Tallest Landmark Sign' in the world — a towering 19.28-meter structure — has swiftly become a symbol of Hatta and its status as one of the UAE's most picturesque regions. To put this achievement into perspective, the Hatta Sign surpasses the famed Hollywood sign, which stands at 13.7 metres. Like its American counterpart, this sign also lights up the night sky, adding to its allure.
The St. Regis Abu Dhabi is renowned for its luxurious and glamorous hotel suites with private butlers. Yet this Abu Dhabi address prides itself on being home to the World's highest suspended suite. Positioned 200 meters above the capital, the appropriately named 'Abu Dhabi Suite' is positioned between the 48th and 49th floors of Nation Towers. The two-storey suite boasts a grand staircase leading to three royal bedrooms, a commodious living room adorned in gold and velvet design, a dining room, a library, private cinema, a gymnasium and even a spa.
Abu Dhabi's Andaz Capital Gate is just as eye-catching from the inside as it is from the external facade. Also known as the 'Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi', Andaz Capital Gate was designed to incline 18° west whilst rising 35-storeys to a height of 160 meters. In addition to the hotel, which takes over the 18th floor and above, the cobra-shaped building features ample office space and has become a landmark on the Abu Dhabi skyline.
Dubai is home to Gevora Hotel, a 356-meter-high building with 529 leisurely suites and picture-perfect decor. The pristine, white-and-gold entrance leads to a selection of delicious dining experiences, a state-of-the-art health club, and child-friendly pool decks. As the tallest vacation spot in Dubai, Gevora Hotel is the ideal place to escape the chaos of the city.
You certainly couldn't hold this lantern. Sharjah's Souq Al Jubail boasts a 13-meter-high lantern that is officially recognised as the largest lantern ever made. This warm welcome to the market invites customers to shop with its bold red glow. Initially, the Global Event Management Group built this replica for Sharjah's Ramadan celebrations in 2016 before becoming a permanent fixture at the entrance to the souq.
The Dubai Frame is a glamorous picture frame located in the picturesque Zabeel Park. The monument, museum and observatory features a lift that ascends 48 floors to a height of 150 meters, where a glass-floored viewing deck awaits. This worthwhile attraction opened in early 2018 and offers views of old Dubai on one side and a modern metropolis on the other.
The UAE is home to many swimming pools. However, Dubai reached extreme depths with the opening of Deep Dive Dubai in 2021. The World's deepest swimming pool reaches an impressive 60 meters and contains 14 million litres of fresh water. The attraction mimics a sunken city, featuring submerged cars and rooms, in an immersive experience for divers of all levels.
The stunning Bluewaters Island is home to Ain Dubai, the largest Ferris wheel on the planet. Reaching a staggering height of 250 meters, the record-breaking structure offers unique views of Dubai's iconic landmarks from 48 air-conditioned cabins, which can hold up to 1,400 passengers. One rotation takes approximately 38 minutes, allowing guests to witness spectacular city views from the JBR skyline to the Burj Al Arab.
Walk into a blossoming euphoria of colour and elegance at Dubai Miracle Garden. Here, more than 50 million natural flowers are arranged into impressive displays, including horses, aeroplanes, elephants and more. The family-friendly attraction is home to dining options and roaming entertainment.
Swim 200 meters in the sky at the FACT Award-winning AURA Skypool Lounge, situated on the trunk of Palm Jumeriah. The World's first and highest 360 infinity pool offers mesmerising views of Dubai's skyline and a sky-high experience you don't want to miss. Reservations are essential.
The maze tower stands out on the Dubai skyline thanks to its unique and unmissable design. The fascinating building on Sheikh Zayed Road was developed by Al Rostimani and comprises 57 floors. The skyscraper is home to office and residential space, as well as a rooftop swimming pool. From the outside, a vertical maze travels up the front and back of this building, exceeding a captivating global record as the world's largest vertical maze.
Race through Abu Dhabi's Ferrari World at speeds of 240 kmph on the most intimidating rollercoaster in the World – Formula Rossa. This attraction opened in 2010 and has become a favourite for visitors to the UAE. In a matter of seconds, riders are thrust 52 meters into the air at exceptional speeds whilst offering a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Reaching speeds of 70kmph, the Now You See Me High Roller at Motiongate Dubai currently holds the title of the world's fastest spinning rollercoaster. Not for the faint of heart, the thrilling ride features a seven-storey vertical drop as riders race to expose the antics of a criminal mastermind.
CLYMB Abu Dhabi, on Yas Island, is home to the world's largest indoor climbing wall. This uniquely shaped building invites adventurers to step outside their comfort zone and into a world of adventure. CLYMB welcomes guests of all ages and levels of expertise to enjoy each of the five climbing walls. Whether you are a climber or just enjoy the sport, the SUMMYT wall will be something you do not want to miss out on. Rising a whopping 138 feet high, there are thirteen routes to reach the top.
Delve into a world of adventure and cinema at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi. The Yas Island attraction features 29 fun-filled rides that are perfect for all ages. Immerse yourself in a world of entertainment, where you can meet your television heroes, from Tom and Jerry to The Flintstones family and Batman.
Plummet through the mountainous Ras Al Khaimah landscape, down a zipline at 160kmph. The world's longest zipline on the UAE's tallest peak takes a total of three minutes to complete and has been enjoyed by over 70,000 people.
Rosella Jewelry is a producer of bracelets, earrings and rings with stores in Al Barsha and the Gold Souk. Their handmade accessories are impressive, but the gold ring in Deira's Gold Souk is like no other. The 21-karat gold piece, named Najmat Taiba, weighs 64 kilograms and has been crafted with crystal detailing. The unique ring was made in the year 2000 and has been valued at AED 11 million.
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The National
3 days ago
- The National
Stanley Tucci doesn't want to be globetrotting food expert like Anthony Bourdain
Stanley Tucci has a lot of time to think, and he hates it. The American actor, 64, has spent the majority of his life making movies – Conclave, The Devil Wears Prada, The Hunger Games, to name a few – and as much as he loves acting, he laments the fact that he doesn't actually do all that much of it. 'Acting doesn't fulfil me as much as it used to,' Tucci tells The National. 'You're on these sets for 12 to 13 hours a day, and you may only act for 20 minutes of that time. I end up thinking, 'there's got to be a better way to do this!' I just want to keep going and going – I'm very impatient. 'I get paid to wait. It's the acting I do for free. That's the way I feel, at this point.' The problem is, when you're sitting around all day, you're rarely learning something – even about yourself. It's a problem we all have – but he has lost patience with that disconnect. Which is why, over the last decade, Tucci has gone out into the world to learn more about who he really is – through travel and especially through food. 'I think we've gotten out of touch with ourselves physically,' Tucci explains. 'One of the reasons is we're all sitting in front of computers, or on our phones all the time – or myself, waiting on a set – and desk work is far more prominent than doing any kind of labour.' In Tucci's mind, it's all connected. By focusing more on what he eats, he's thought more about where it comes from – the land, and the culture and traditions the land inspires. And by starting at the source, we see ourselves more clearly. 'Getting in touch with the land is so important. From the land comes our food, and then the food goes onto the table, and into us,' says Tucci. Growing up, Tucci was also quite disconnected from his roots. He didn't understand why all the other kids at his small-town school 75km outside of New York City were eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and he was having leftovers his mother had packed him of last night's eggplant parmigiana. But with each passing decade, he has increasingly immersed himself in his Italian heritage – and embracing even its flaws. And by focusing his journey on food, he has ended up learning more about the country's rich complexities than one might imagine. All of this is in service to understanding the country – and himself – better. 'I don't want to romanticise Italy. I think that's been done ad nauseam. I think it's not interesting and it's not truthful,' says Tucci. Tucci in Italy, his new National Geographic series broadcast weekly in the UAE and available to stream on Disney+, embraces what he feels is the true Italy. In the first episode, for example, he explores Tuscany, focusing specifically on dishes that were created by and for the working class. First he tries lampredotto, the Florentine street food sandwich made from the fourth stomach of a cow. It's named after the eels that once inhabited the Arno river, and only the rich could afford. The tripe dish, then, was invented to imitate its flavours. But the story doesn't stop here. Tucci then finds another old peasant dish made with imitation tripe by those that couldn't even afford cow stomach. That one might even be his favourite. Politically speaking, there's a reason that he focuses on the lower class – at a time when, once again, immigrants and the poor are being scapegoated, both in Italy and in the US. It's something his immigrant family likely went through once, too. 'I think particularly in today's climate, immigrants are vilified and wrongly so, because they have so much to bring to a culture. Millions of Italians once came over to America, and they were vilified to a certain extent. Also, I think that's something that Italian Americans have to remember, and Italians themselves should remember, too,' says Tucci. But as much as he's enjoyed diving into the unexplored corners of Italy for the series – with another season already shot and set to air next year – he's also adamant that his journey will stop there. While he wants to go deeper into his ancestral homeland, a project he started with the CNN series Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy in 2021, he doesn't want to explore the rest of the world on camera. It's clear he doesn't want to be the next Anthony Bourdain – the late chef who grew internationally famous for his globetrotting food series Parts Unknown. 'I don't want to do different regions and different countries, because I don't think that would be appropriate. I don't have a connection to those countries,' Tucci explains. In fact, it sounds like Tucci doesn't think there should be another Anthony Bourdain at all. Instead, he wants the Tucci in Italy model to be repeated globally – starring figures who are looking to explore their roots, not modern-day adventurers looking to become the Indiana Jones of restaurants. 'I think it would be more interesting to have somebody like me explore those countries in the way that I've done it – and they need to have a connection to those countries. They need to speak the language, and they have to really, really appreciate the food – not just like to eat. 'They have to know food and be willing to explore and ask questions. It's not just about what's delicious – it's about understanding the passion of the people that make it.' The next season of Tucci in Italy may be the final food travel series for Tucci. 'I'm kind of tired,' he says. Tucci is grappling with the fact that, at 64, he's aging. And part of knowing himself now is about knowing how to navigate his limitations. He's doing that by focusing, once again, on food. 'As a person who's getting older, your body is changing all the time – meaning it's getting weaker all the time. You need to know what it is you need to strengthen yourself - to keep yourself strong. Otherwise I'll grow impatient with myself, too.'
The National
4 days ago
- The National
Why Stanley Tucci doesn't want to be the next Anthony Bourdain
Stanley Tucci has a lot of time to think, and he hates it. The American actor, 64, has spent the majority of his life making movies – Conclave, The Devil Wears Prada, The Hunger Games, to name a few – and as much as he loves acting, he laments the fact that he doesn't actually do all that much of it. 'Acting doesn't fulfil me as much as it used to,' Tucci tells The National. 'You're on these sets for 12 to 13 hours a day, and you may only act for 20 minutes of that time. I end up thinking, 'there's got to be a better way to do this! I just want to keep going and going – I'm very impatient. 'I get paid to wait. It's the acting I do for free. That's the way I feel, at this point.' The problem is, when you're sitting around all day, you're rarely learning something – even about yourself. It's a problem we all have – but he has lost patience with that disconnect. Which is why, over the last decade, Tucci has gone out into the world to learn more about who he really is – through travel and especially through food. 'I think we've gotten out of touch with ourselves physically,' Tucci explains. 'One of the reasons is we're all sitting in front of computers, or on our phones all the time – or myself, waiting on a set – and desk work is far more prominent than doing any kind of labour.' In Tucci's mind, it's all connected. By focusing more on what he eats, he's thought more about where it comes from – both the land, and the culture and traditions the land inspires. And by starting at the source, we see ourselves more clearly. 'Getting in touch with the land is so important. From the land comes our food, and then the food goes onto the table, and into us,' says Tucci. Growing up, Tucci was also quite disconnected from his roots. He didn't understand why all the other kids at his small-town school 75 km outside of New York City were eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and he was having leftovers his mother had packed him of last night's eggplant parmigiana. But with each passing decade, he has increasingly immersed himself in his Italian heritage – and embracing even its flaws. And by focusing his journey on food, he has ended up learning more about the country's rich complexities than one might imagine. All of this is in service to understanding the country – and himself – better. 'I don't want to romanticise Italy. I think that's been done ad nauseum. I think it's not interesting and it's not truthful,' says Tucci. Tucci in Italy, his new National Geographic series airing weekly in the UAE and available to stream on Disney+, embraces what he feels is the true Italy. In the first episode, for example, he explores Tuscany, focusing specifically on dishes that were created by and for the working class. First he tries lampredotto, the Florentine street food sandwich made from the fourth stomach of a cow. It's named after the eels that once inhabited the Arno river, and only the rich could afford. The tripe dish, then, was invented to imitate its flavours. But the story doesn't stop here. Tucci then finds another old peasant dish made with imitation tripe by those that couldn't even afford cow stomach. That one might even be his favourite. Politically speaking, there's a reason that he focuses on the lower class – at a time when, once again, immigrants and the poor are being scapegoated, both in Italy and in the United States. It's something his immigrant family likely went through once, too. 'I think particularly in today's climate, immigrants are vilified and wrongly so, because they have so much to bring to a culture. Millions of Italians once came over to America, and they were vilified to a certain extent. Also, I think that's something that Italian Americans have to remember, and Italians themselves should remember, too,' says Tucci. But as much as he's enjoyed diving into the unexplored corners of Italy for the series – with another season already shot and set to air next year – he's also adamant that his journey will stop there. While he wants to go deeper into his ancestral homeland, a project he started with the CNN series Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy in 2021, he doesn't want to explore the rest of the world on camera. It's clear he doesn't want to be the next Anthony Bourdain – the late chef who grew internationally famous for his globetrotting food series Parts Unknown. 'I don't want to do different regions and different countries, because I don't think that would be appropriate. I don't have a connection to those countries,' Tucci explains. In fact, it sounds like Tucci doesn't think there should be another Anthony Bourdain at all. Instead, he wants the Tucci in Italy model to be repeated globally – starring figures who are looking to explore their roots, not modern-day adventurers looking to become the Indiana Jones of restaurants. 'I think it would be more interesting to have somebody like me explore those countries in the way that I've done it – and they need to have a connection to those countries. They need to speak the language, and they have to really, really appreciate the food – not just like to eat. 'They have to know food and be willing to explore and ask questions. It's not just about what's delicious – it's about understanding the passion of the people that make it.' In fact, the next season of Tucci in Italy may be the final food travel series for Tucci. 'I'm kind of tired,' he says. Tucci is grappling with the fact that, at 64, he's aging. And part of knowing himself now is about knowing how to navigate his limitations. He's doing that by focusing, once again, on food. 'As a person who's getting older, your body is changing all the time – meaning it's getting weaker all the time. You need to know what it is you need to strengthen yourself - to keep yourself strong. Otherwise I'll grow impatient with myself, too.'
Sharjah 24
27-05-2025
- Sharjah 24
Watch and Jewellery Middle East Show kicks off Wednesday
Organised by Expo Sharjah with support from the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), the exhibition features the participation of over 500 local and international exhibitors, representing major global companies and high-end brands in luxury gold jewellery, exquisite timepieces, and precious gemstones, in addition to 1,800 high-profile designers, manufacturers, and industry professionals. The 30,000-square-metre exhibition will see the presence of an elite group of leading jewelry and watchmakers from both local and global markets. Key exhibiting countries include the UAE, India, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, Singapore, China, Japan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Lebanon. The new edition of the show also marks the debut participation of several international participants from Russia, Mexico, Tanzania, and Egypt. Exhibits are tailored to meet the refined preferences of high-end watch and jewelry consumers in the Middle East market. Anticipating a high visitor turnout, the exhibition will unveil a set of exclusive jewellery pieces, notably the world's longest diamond necklace, aiming to secure a new Guinness World Record. The remarkable piece spans 108 meters and is adorned with more than 600 lab-grown diamonds, meticulously crafted in 18-karat rose gold. The Guinness World Records committee will carry out the official inspection on the opening day of the show. Building on the record-breaking success of its 54th edition, which recorded over 80,000 visitors marking the highest attendance to date, the upcoming Sharjah Watch and Jewellery Show 2025 continues to reinforce its international reputation as a premier destination for luxury seekers and trend followers, offering access to exclusive pieces and the latest design innovations. It also provides jewellery designers with a high-profile venue to debut unique collections and highlight signature products, while engaging a broad customer base, capitalizing on the exhibition's strong market presence. The 55th edition of the show coincides with the upcoming Eid Al Adha holiday and comes amid accelerating growth in the UAE's gold trade, further enhancing its appeal among jewellery and watch enthusiasts. According to the World Gold Council, gold sales in the UAE totaled 23.4 tonnes, valued at $1.8 billion in H1 2024, representing 17.3% of the Middle East's total sales. These figures underscore the exhibition's role as a strategic enabler for advancing the gold and jewellery industry. The Watch and Jewellery Middle East Show stands as one of the largest global gatherings for gold and jewellery designers, companies, traders, and industry leaders. It serves as a gateway for jewellery and watch enthusiasts and global audiences eager to explore the latest trends and innovations in fine jewellery. The exhibition operates daily from 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM, and on Fridays from 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM. It promises a premium shopping experience, allowing visitors to explore an extensive collection of luxury watches, bespoke jewellery pieces, rare gemstones, and signature diamond sets presented by top jewellery houses.
