Watch: Arab athletes smash Guinness World Records with dramatic stunts

Dubai: Guinness World Records™ (GWR) marked the 21st edition of Guinness World Records Day with a series of high-profile record attempts across the world, highlighting extraordinary displays of athleticism, endurance and human potential.

In the Arab region, several record-breakers achieved new milestones.

Lebanese athlete Samer Madi completed the longest duration to maintain a straddle human flag position on a flying helicopter, holding the position for 21 seconds. The attempt, conducted on 16 November 2025 at the Rene Mouawad Air Base, followed months of training that included performing the pose while hanging from moving vehicles and high structures.

In the UAE, Abdullah Al Hattawi and Ammar Alkhudairi set a new record for the most football sole touches on a moving quad bike in 30 seconds (team of two), achieving 23 repetitions. The duo now hold 14 Guinness World Records titles, including the 2018 record for the longest quad bike wheelie on Sheikh Zayed Road (60 km) and the 2023 record for the most consecutive football touches while paragliding over Sharjah (127 touches).

Another UAE achievement was recorded by Hamed Al Shehhi, who clocked 7 minutes 13 seconds for the fastest time to cover 1 km while juggling a football. Al Shehhi holds 10 Guinness World Records titles, including the longest back-heel football shot into a basketball hoop, achieved at a distance of 12 metres in 2024.

In Jordan, Abdulrahman Makhlouf, who has no lower limbs, set a new record for the longest duration balancing a wheelchair on two fingers, holding the position for 30.51 seconds. He also achieved the most pull-ups in one minute while in a wheelchair, completing nine repetitions. Makhlouf is widely recognised in his hometown of Irbid for his resilience and athletic determination.

Also in Jordan, multi-skill athlete Yaser Zeyad set a new record by breaking five wooden mallets with his hands in 30 seconds. The achievement is his second title, following his previous record for bursting a plastic hot-water bottle by inflating it in four seconds.

In Syria, Yazan Saleh achieved a new title for performing 360-degree rotations while fully suspended by his teeth. Saleh now holds 12 Guinness World Records titles.

Will Manford, Official Adjudicator at Guinness World Records, said the celebrations were designed to encourage wider participation, stating that the diversity of attempts demonstrated the global appetite for personal achievement.

Guinness World Records also launched the 2026 edition of its annual book, featuring 2,247 new achievements, more than 80 percent of which have been updated or added for this edition. Over the past year, more than 48,000 applicants worldwide submitted attempts, reflecting a growing interest in record-breaking activity. The release coincides with the 70th anniversary of the first Guinness World Records edition.

Craig Glenday, Editor-in-Chief of Guinness World Records, said the new edition is intended not only as a record of global achievements but also as an inspiration for future record-breakers.

Record attempts for Guinness World Records Day were reported globally:

• China: Thirteen-year-old Liu Haoran achieved the highest bicycle backflip, reaching 2.9 metres.

• Japan: Shunichi Kanno set a new record for the most drink cans placed on the body using air suction, securing 25 cans during an attempt at the GWR Japan office.

• USA: Jessica Martinez of New York City recorded the largest afro (female), measuring 29 cm tall, 31 cm wide and 190 cm in circumference.

• United Kingdom: Three titles were achieved at Up at The O2 in London, the future home of the world’s first permanent Guinness World Records attraction, set to launch in late 2026. Josh Patterson became the first person to break the fastest time to climb and descend The O2, completing it in 4 minutes 40.79 seconds and surpassing the previous 10-minute minimum benchmark.