A list of the Guinness World Records in Abu Dhabi
Did you know that the UAE holds over 400 Guinness World Records in total? This remarkable achievement not only highlights the nation on the world stage but also helps it to stand out in the Middle East region. Dubai currently holds the highest number of records. However, the capital isn’t far behind. The number of Guinness World Records in Abu Dhabi is extremely impressive and represents a source of pride for the entire country.
LIST OF GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS IN ABU DHABI
Shattering previous Guinness World Records shines a light on the tremendous progress Abu Dhabi has made in recent decades. For example, the eco-friendly Masdar City is a shining example to the rest of the real estate sector on how to drastically reduce carbon footprint. We’ll also take a look at some mind-boggling personal records that represent immense personal achievements by Abu Dhabi residents.
So, without further ado, let’s find out all about the world’s largest mosaic made from recycled materials, the world’s largest indoor sky diving tunnel, the most expensive car license plate on the planet, and a whole lot more.
LARGEST DOME AND CARPET
Not many mosques in the world reflect Islamic heritage the way Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi does. But did you know that the mosque is also the proud recipient of two titles on the list of Guinness World Records in Abu Dhabi?
First, it has the largest dome in the world measuring almost 32.7 metres in diameter and 85 metres in length from top to bottom.
Second, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque has the world’s largest handwoven carpet crafted by 1,200 skilled workers. Among the many mesmerising decorative elements at the mosque, this green carpet stands out for its size, design and craftsmanship. Weighing more than 12 tonnes and incorporating 2.2 billion hand-tied knots, the beautiful carpet covers 60,546 sq. ft. of marble and took more than a year to complete.
LARGEST RECYCLABLE MATERIAL MOSAIC
Masdar City in Abu Dhabi focuses on carbon neutrality, eco-friendly design and sustainability. The world’s largest low-carbon city is a bold experiment as the entire development will be powered exclusively by renewable energy.
In January 2020, just before the opening of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2020, Masdar City bagged the Guinness World Records title for developing the largest recyclable material mosaic using more than 90,000 recyclable items such as plastic bottles and cans.
The striking masterpiece, which is the size of two basketball courts, sends out an important message regarding reducing, reusing and recycling waste.
AL AIN PARADISE
Al Ain Paradise made its way into the Guinness Book of World Records for its 2,500 baskets of colourful flowers. Visitors say that it is a unique experience to see millions of flowers arranged in different settings. After extensive renovation, the park now has 2,965 flower baskets, a miniature Eiffel Tower and a water stream.
TOUCHING ALL SEVEN CONTINENTS
Abu Dhabi’s solo traveller, Dr Khawla Al Romaithi, set a world record by visiting 208 countries and covering all seven continents in only 3 days, 14 hours and 46 minutes! Now that’s some seriously fast travelling right there! And nope, he wasn’t in a Delorean.
LARGEST ONLINE VIDEO ALBUM OF PEOPLE RECITING AN OATH
One of the most interesting Guinness World Records in Abu Dhabi was created in 2019 when 10,060 people recited an oath/pledge and posted their videos online. Organised by Procter & Gamble Middle East FZE (UAE), the record attempt was to highlight the diversity and tolerance in the country.
THE MOST EXPENSIVE CAR LICENCE PLATE
An Abu Dhabi resident presently holds the record for the most expensive car licence plate. Businessman Saeed Abdul Ghaffar Khouri paid AED 52.2M (almost $14.3M) at an auction hosted at the Emirates Palace Hotel to secure the famous number “1” plate for his vehicle.
MOST WAKEBOARD RAIL AIRS
23-year-old Abu Dhabi resident, Omeir Saeed, shattered two world records in November 2020. On November 18, Saeed created history by completing two stunts: the highest number of wakeboard rail airs (supermans) in 30 seconds, as well as the longest ramp jump on a Wakeboard. This is certainly the jewel in the crown of the passionate wakeboarder from the UAE.
MOST BOOKS EXCHANGED
The world record to exchange the most books in eight hours was set at an event organised by Abu Dhabi Police and held at the Juvenile Welfare Centre. A whopping 2,868 books were exchanged as part of 2011 UAE National Day celebrations.
THE LONGEST CONTINUOUS VEHICLE DRIFT
This record was created at Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi in 2013. The drift covered a total area of 11.18 km and was achieved by Abdo El Fegali.
LARGEST HUMAN IMAGE OF A WAVING NATIONAL FLAG
On 28 November 2017, GEMS Education, one of the largest education providers in the UAE, bought together 4,130 people to create the largest human image of a waving UAE flag. Part of the UAE National Day celebrations, this attempt displayed true patriotism and national fervour.
LONGEST AWARENESS RIBBON
Coinciding with International Breast Cancer Awareness Month, VPS Healthcare in partnership with Burjeel Medical City formed the world’s longest pink awareness ribbon. Almost 4,103 people were wearing awareness ribbons at the same time to raise awareness about breast cancer regular screenings and self-examination. Another record broken during the event was attaching 381 pairs of ribbons to each other. Both records were set in 2017.
Back in 2014, VPS Healthcare made an addition to the Guinness World Records in Abu Dhabi by organising the largest self-examination event for breast cancer awareness. A total of 971 women participated in the event.
LARGEST JUJUTSU (JIU-JITSU)
A new world record for the largest Jujutsu lesson was achieved at the inaugural National Sports Day in Abu Dhabi organised by UAE JJF, ADEC and Palms Sports. In total, 2,481 students participated in the event that took place on 25 November 2015.
LARGEST SOCK WORD
This perhaps is the most heart-warming story you will hear about Guinness World Records. Meera Al Hosani, in of support her daughter Latifa, started a campaign “My name is Latifa” to spread awareness about Down Syndrome.
The word “Al Saa-aa-dah” which translates to happiness was created with 1,447 used socks by Meera and her friends to bring attention to the medical condition.
MOST NATIONALITIES IN A SWIMMING POOL
This world record created in 2019 showcases the cultural diversity and tolerance in the UAE. People belonging to 102 nationalities stood together in a swimming pool at Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi.
LARGEST PINBACK BUTTON
The largest pinback button record was achieved by H.H. Dr Sheikha Moza Bin Tahnoon Bin Mohammed Al Nahyan as a part of 2018 UAE National Day Celebrations in Abu Dhabi. The massive pinback button/badge measures almost 0.78 sq. m.
LARGEST COMPUTER SECURITY LESSON CONSISTS
In collaboration with the Emirates Youth Council, Abu Dhabi Police and ACTVET smashed the Guinness World Record for the largest computer security lesson at a single venue with 2,574 participants.
LONGEST MOTHER’S DAY GREETINGS
Dalma Mall, Abu Dhabi was awarded the Guinness World Record for hosting the “longest greeting card” to celebrate Mother’s Day. The banner measured 150.25 m and consisted of more than 15,000 greeting cards.
FASTEST FULL BODY BUS WRAPPING
A 12-member team only took 11 minutes and 48 seconds to complete a full bus wrapping in an event organised by Orchid Advertising in Abu Dhabi. The Lion’s Regio bus was wrapped with vinyl sticker paper on 21st December 2015.
MOST DOMINOES TOPPLED IN A CIRCLE FIELD
Another fun Guinness World Record in Abu Dhabi was achieved at Marina Mall on 1st December 2018. A total of 89,995 dominoes were toppled to set the record in association with H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan.
LARGEST INDOOR SKY DIVING TUNNEL
CLYMB Abu Dhabi not only is a fun destination for adrenaline junkies but also holds two Guinness World Records in Abu Dhabi. You’d find the world’s largest indoor skydiving flight chambers measuring 32 ft. in width and 104 ft. in height. This epic venue is also home to the world’s tallest indoor climbing wall, measuring an immense 141 ft.
MOST LED LAMPS INSTALLED ON A PUBLIC ROAD
Abu Dhabi General Services Company achieved the record after installing 21,416 LED lamps on a public road in January 2018.
LARGEST NOTEBOOK MOSAIC
The largest notebook mosaic measuring 702.82 m2 was created by Abu Dhabi University & Knowledge Group in March 2018.
LARGEST HUMAN IMAGE OF AN INFINITY SYMBOL
The largest human image of an infinity symbol was formed by 998 participants. Abu Dhabi Indian School achieved the record on 27th November 2018.
LARGEST UMBRELLA
Talking about unique Guinness World Records in Abu Dhabi, the world’s largest umbrella/parasol measuring 24.5 m in diameter was manufactured by the Khalifa Empowerment Program – Aqdar. The record was a part of Emirates Happiness Events.
FASTEST MARATHON BY A RELAY TEAM
The fastest marathon by a relay team was achieved by Al Wafa Marathon during an event organised by Saleh Hassan at Al Ain Club for Disabled. The record stands at 2 hours, 4 minutes and 32 seconds.
LARGEST FIREWORK WORD (RELAY)
A total of 320 firework words were relayed to spell out “Happy New Year 2020” during Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba on 1 January 2020 setting up one of the most incredible Guinness World Records in Abu Dhabi.
WORLD’S FASTEST ROLLER-COASTER
Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi has the world’s fastest roller-coaster ‘Formula Rossa,’ which can reach a maximum speed of up to 240 km/h.
MOST VARIETIES OF DESSERTS ON DISPLAY
The World of Food Abu Dhabi. Emirates Culinary Guild and Madinat Jumeirah Conference and Incentives achieved the record of displaying the biggest variety of desserts…2,586 on 7th December 2019.
LONGEST HANDSHAKE RELAY
A group of 1,817 adults and children shook hands to break the record of longest handshake relay.
MOST NATIONALITIES REPRESENTED AT A DANCE PARTY
67 nations were represented at this dance party organised by Velocity at the Marriott Hotel Downtown Abu Dhabi setting up a new record.
LARGEST GATHERING OF PEOPLE WEARING CAPES
The record for the largest gathering of people wearing capes is also included in the list of Guinness World Records in Abu Dhabi. Warner Bros. WorldTM achieved the record with the help of 2,266 participants.
LARGEST INDOOR THEME PARK
The largest indoor theme park, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, covers a built-up area of 150,835.19 m².
MOST USERS TO TAKE AN ONLINE PANDEMIC AWARENESS LESSON IN 24-HOURS
A total of 37,545 people participated in the session organised by Alef Education. The company previously created a world record for most users undergoing an online infection control lesson in 24 hours.
RECORDS BY EVA CLARKE
The record for most pull-ups within 24 hours by a female was set by Eva Clarke – she completed 3,737 reps in Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi. She also holds two more records: the most chest to ground burpees in one minute (31) and most pull-ups in an hour (725).
Clarke was also part of the team that achieved the record of ‘most chest to ground burpees’ in 24 hours (mixed-team) in Abu Dhabi. The magic number is 12,502. The team included Anna Erdi, Daniel Gill, Brandon Chin Loy, Tereza Petrovicova, Ivan Camponogara and Eva Clarke.
LARGEST MEDAL
The largest medal measuring 1.49 m in diameter was bestowed upon Khaled Al-Suwaidi in Abu Dhabi in recognition of his run from Abu Dhabi to Mecca.
LARGEST MONEY BOX
The largest money box (7 X 5 X 5) was created by the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (UAE) in Abu Dhabi.
LARGEST PARADE OF HYUNDAI BUSES
A parade of 390 buses was organised by Emirates Transport in Abu Dhabi. This addition to the Guinness World Records in Abu Dhabi was achieved with the buses stretching almost 4 km.
LARGEST ARTIFICIAL FLOWER MOSAIC
The largest artificial flower mosaic was developed by Emirates Events. The size of the mosaic was 53.821 m².
MOST EXPENSIVELY DRESSED CHRISTMAS TREE
The most expensively dressed Christmas tree was displayed at the Emirates Palace Hotel. Valued at AED 41 Billion, the tree was covered with more than 180 items of jewellery.
MOST WOOD COLLECTED IN THREE MINUTES IN MINECRAFT (PC)
Rohan Bajaj collected the most wood in Minecraft (PC) in 3 minutes. The record achieved in Abu Dhabi stands at 104.
Two more records are held by Rohan Bajaj – the fastest time to build a two-block piston door in Minecraft (PC)(11.53 seconds) and the most Minecraft snow golems (78) built in one minute.
FASTEST TIME TO SORT 30 COLOURED AWARENESS RIBBONS
The fastest time was achieved by Akshat Kaushik in Abu Dhabi.
LARGEST COLLECTION OF PICTURE FRAMES
Lara Khoury, a resident of Abu Dhabi, with 2,214 different picture frames holds this record.
TALLEST BUILDING DEMOLISHED USING EXPLOSIVES
The demolition of four high-rise towers, including a 541.44 ft., 144-storey tall Mina Plaza entered the Guinness World Records in Abu Dhabi as the tallest building to be demolished with explosives. Mondon Properties achieved the feat in 10 seconds through a controlled implosion.
FASTEST LAP OF LAGUNA SECA
A fun gaming record was also achieved at Yas Mall Abu Dhabi by Sanju Oommen and Vysakh Jayagopal. They did the fastest lap of Laguna Seca in Gran Turismo 5 (PS3) with one controller and a team of two.
LARGEST HAND-WOVEN SPIRAL PLACE MAT MEASURES
The record for the largest hand-woven spiral place mat measuring 12.018 metres in diameter was achieved by the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee on October 24, 2019.
LARGEST SAND ART STRUCTURE
Made using 2,245.5 kg sand, the Guinness World Record for the largest sand structure was achieved by Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi.
THE LARGEST WHITEBOARD MEASURES
Abu Dhabi Health Services Company achieved another Guinness World Record in Abu Dhabi by manufacturing a 114.3 m² whiteboard.
That wraps up our extensive list of Guinness records in Abu Dhabi. From the bizarre to the sublime to the magnificent. What a ride!
There are so many historic facts about Abu Dhabi that should make every resident of UAE proud. Be it individual achievement or records shattered by organisations, this list reveals that there is no shortage of creative minds and passionate people throughout the capital.
FAQs
HOW CAN I APPLY FOR GUINNESS WORLD RECORD IN ABU DHABI?
If you want your name to feature on the iconic list of Guinness World Records, you have to register on the official Guinness World Records’ website and click ‘apply for a record’ tab. You will then be guided through the process by on-screen instructions.
WHAT TYPE OF RECORDS CAN I GO FOR?
There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to setting world records. It could be something minor, unique, epic….or utterly insane! Get your creative thinking hat on and you could soon be making history.
Interesting in the UAE’s other Guinness World Records? Start by checking out this list of world records created in Dubai.
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