Sharjah: Students of an Indian school in the UAE set two Guinness World Records on Thursday by forming the largest human image of a coffee pot and a transforming image of coffee being poured into a cup.
As many as 5,445 students of the Indian International School Sharjah (IISS) formed the transforming image of a UAE Dallah, the traditional Arabic coffee pot of the UAE, to enter into the Guinness Book of World Records.
The attempt organised by the Pace Education Group chairman P.A. Ebrahim Haji was declared as Officially Amazing by Guinness adjudicator Samir Khalloof. He conferred two records to the participants.
The first one was a new record for forming the largest human image of the coffee pot.
The second one was for breaking an existing record of the largest transforming human image as a group of children moved from the pot to the cup to illustrate coffee being poured into the cup.
The school said it chose Dallah as the record setting image since its significance can be traced back to the age-old Emirati tradition of welcoming guests with a steaming cup of Arabic coffee accompanied by dates.
“This cultural mainstay even appears on the most widely used denomination of the UAE currency, the Dh1 coin. Understanding that the Dallah is deeply rooted in Arab culture and that it represents a symbol of unity, harmony and generosity, the students of IISS, engaged in the first attempt of its kind to showcase the largest human image of the Dallah by setting a new record,” the school stated.
“Moments later, they transformed into a brewing pot serving coffee into the cup, which resonated the message of values served graciously to the expatriates by the great nation and citizens of the UAE.”
The existing record for largest transforming human image was set by 2,500 people in Spain on June 22, 2017.
Prior to that, the title belonged to 2,223 students of Gems Education in Dubai who set the same record during the UAE National Day celebrations in 2016.
They had first shaped an image of an open hand and then transformed it into the three-finger salute, a gesture introduced in 2013 by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
For the Indian International School, Thursday’s achievement became their third Guinness World Record.
Last year, 4,882 students had set a record for forming the largest human image of a traditional UAE boat on November 14, which is celebrated as Children’s Day in India.
The school said its latest feat is a tribute to the “the resplendent nature of the UAE, the achievements of our visionary leaders, and respect to the valedictory of Year of Zayed - who was noted for his generosity and hospitality.”
