Dubai breaks more world records

Dubai entered the Guinness Book of World Records, creating two new concepts and breaking four world records yesterday. The official certification of the six events was made by Stuart E. F. Claxton, a Guinness Book of World Records official.

The largest Madkhan (incense burner) created by Ajmal Perfumes and weighing 1,000 kilos, and the Biggest Shopping bag, 180cm high and 120cm in width, created by Paris Gallery, featured in the new concept category.

Breaking previous records were the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel with its feat of lighting 2,100 candles on a seven meter long cake weighing 483.5 kilos; Kodak with its collection of 10,610 photographs of a single concept; the tallest Croquembouche - a traditional French cake - made by the Dubai World Trade Centre with 185,000 Choux buns and caramel; and the largest collection of miniature model cars by Suhail Al Zarooni, a 31-year-old UAE businessman.

Claxton said that since 1998 Dubai has managed to set 11 world records. "This shows Dubai as the Guinness Book Records hot spot. It is indeed a tremendous achievement. All these records have been verified. At present we have 40,000 world records of which only 4,000 have been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. Our editorial team in London decides the listing of records in the book.

"The rest have been listed in our new website which was inaugurated last October. The site www.guinnessworldrecords.com currently receives five million hits every month. The records which are set in the UAE are expected to be added to our website by next week. The central thing in all these records is the people who have made the effort and put in their enthusiasm to create something new," he said.

Saeed Al Nabouda, marketing coordinator and the man behind the Dubai World Record Venture 200, said: "We received nearly 20 applications from individuals and corporate sectors for the World Record Venture. Only six of them could make it. We in Dubai are quite happy with the achievements. We hope to see many more record breaking events in the future."

A jubilant Ayman Salim, marketing manager of Paris Gallery, said: "We are very proud to feature in the Guinness Book of World Records. We wanted to create something new and we did. We are planning to create another record breaking feat in the coming Dubai Summer Surprises," he said.

Arif Khan, Kodak marketing manager, Middle East, said: "We had a target of 9,534 which was the previous record. But with the response shown by the general public we managed to come up with a collection of 10,160 photographs. We closed our collection with a photograph of the Dubai royal family.

"The collection of photographs will be displayed at the Al Ghurair City after which it will go to our Kodak archives. Each photograph has the name and address of the people who participated in our record breaking venture. All of them will receive a certificate," he said.

Henz Krahenbuhl, the food and beverage manager of Al Bustan Rotana Hotel, Dubai, said :"We knew it that we would be there. The previous record was established in Poland with 900 candles. We beat them with 2,100 candles which can be lighted by our 18 member team in just seven minutes. It took us 120 man hours to create the cake."

Suhail Al Zarooni the 31 year old UAE businessman whose passion is to collect miniature model cars, and who beat his own record, said: "I hold the largest collection of 2000 miniature model cars dating back to 1886. I must have spent about Dh2m on it."

The tallest Croquembouche was prepared in a in a record breaking two days with the help of 21 chefs. Harold Oberender, executive chef, Dubai World Trade Centre said: "The Croquembouche is a traditional french dessert. It was originally used as the wedding cake."