UAE National Day 2020: See why UAE is called the home of World Records

UAE owns its reputation for superlatives. It’s got the tallest buildings, the fastest rollercoaster, the biggest Instagram-able frame and so much more. Here’s a look at some of them.

Global Village, Dubai’s outdoor destination for culture, shopping, and entertainment, broke the Guinness World Records title for the “most videos in a music medley video” during ‘Global Gig’, dubbed the biggest virtual rock concert in history.

The UAE flag, which measures 144 metres square in area, just set a “World Record for the largest flag flown in free fall”.

Masdar City, Abu Dhabi’s flagship innovative and sustainable urban development, has officially broken the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest mosaic made from recycled materials. The mosaic, which measures 1,015 square metres – around the size of two basketball courts – took one month to assemble and contains almost 90,500 recycled items, including plastic bottles, cans and cardboard. The local community participated in the project, including Masdar City employees, tenants and local residents, along with members of the wider Abu Dhabi community and schoolchildren.

Dubai Miracle Garden conceived and designed the spectacular 18-metre high Mickey Mouse floral structure — Disney’s first character floral display in the Middle East — earning the Guinness World Records title for the Tallest Topiary Sculpture (supported). The sculpture features almost 100,000 plants and flowers (including white petunia, red petunia, white geranium, yellow viola, zinnia marigold and green alternanthera), weighs almost 35 tonnes, and is supported by a 7-tonne steel structure with a concrete foundation of 50 tonnes of reinforced concrete.

The world’s largest organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen fastened above the front facade of Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo at The Dubai Mall has been recognised by Guinness World Records. The has broken records as “the largest and the highest resolution: Largest OLED screen, highest resolution video wall and largest high-definition video wall”. Comprising over 820 flexible, OLED panels, allowing the screen to emit light without the need for backlighting, screen from LG is able to curve, mimicking the rolling waves of the ocean.

If you are a thrill-seeker, you need to head to Ras Al Khaimah, which is home to the world’s longest zip line- the 2.83-kilometre Jebel Jais Flight.

Abu Dhabi mosque, or the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, is home to the largest dome in the world. Measuring 32.7 metres in diameter and 85 metres from top to bottom, the dome adds an impressive element to the already stunning mosque.

The mosque is also home to the largest hand-woven carpet, which took 1,200 workers one year to weave, and a 17,000 m² marble mosaic that is the largest such mosaic.

Abu Dhabi has become quite a hub of adventure too. It’s got the largest indoor sky diving tunnel at CLYMB Abu Dhabi. The spot has won two Guinness World Records; one for the world’s largest indoor skydiving flight chamber with a record-breaking width of 32 feet and height of 104 feet.

The other is for the world’s tallest indoor climbing wall, which is 141 feet in height. The really great part about these fun finds? There’s something for every skill set - beginner, amateur and professional.

Do you like to shop? The Dubai mall with it’s labyrinthine passages is the world’s biggest mall and boasts more than 1,200 stores and food outlets across 10 million square feet. Talk about providing options.

Oh, and it’s also home to a 10-million-liter Dubai Aquarium tank - one of the largest of its kind. The Aquarium is home to over 140 species of animals, including sharks.

Al Ain has a sweet claim to its titles. The oasis is home to gardens that boast 2,426 arrangements, which took around 1,000,000 flowers and plants to create. It’s also got a large display of hanging baskets.

Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi is home to a red monster on wheels; the Formula Rossa rollercoaster is officially the world’s fastest with acceleration up to 240km/h..

Maze Tower has earned its-self a record - it’s the largest vertical maze ever created. The magnificent building is located along Sheikh Zayed Road in the heart of DIFC.

Talk about taking the long road. UAE opened longest covered tunnel in the region, which connects Khor Fakkan with Sharjah. It is 2.7 kilometres long.

Dubai’s Palm Fountain, located at The Pointe at Palm Jumeirah, is home to the 14,000 ft² fountain equipped with shooters capable of blasting water 105 metres into the air.

The Dubai Frame at Zabeel Park holds the Guinness World Record for the largest picture frame. Head on up the 150-metre construction for a 360-degree view of Dubai, both old and new. Thanks to its 25sqm glass panel bridge visitors can experience a feeling of walking on air.

Arguably the most well-known record holder is the Burj Khalifa, which stands tall at 2,716 feet. The Burj Khalifa is twice the height of New York's Empire State Building and three times as tall as the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

As the Dubai Metro turned 11, it chugged into the Guinness World Records book for being the longest driverless metro network in the world, spanning 74.69km. It’s got a good track record too; it’s served over 1.7 billion commuters over the past decade.

In 2018, the 356-meter (1,168 feet) Gevora Hotel in Dubai became the tallest hotel in the world, complete with certification as a Guinness World Record.

Dubai Miracle Garden: The power of the flower. Billing itself as the world's largest natural flower garden, the 72,000-square-meter attraction has more than 60 million flowers on display. Located in Dubailand near the Arabian Ranches, it opened on Valentine's Day in 2013 and now attracts up to 1.5 million visitors a year. The floral structures are changed every season to ensure repeat visitors get a different experience each time they travel here.