Spiderman set to climb 200-metre Emaar tower

Alain Roberts, the French Spiderman, will scale one of the six high-rises in Dubai Marina later this month as part of the Dubai Shopping Festival spectacle.

Roberts will attempt free-climbing the Murjan Tower (200 metres, including spires) on January 29.

Last year, Roberts caused a stir in Abu Dhabi when he climbed the National Bank of Abu Dhabi headquarters, drawing an estimated 100,000 spectators.

The newly-minted Murjan Tower at Dubai Marina will be an addition to Roberts' portfolio of over 60 skyscrapers and landmarks worldwide, including Malaysia's Petronas Towers, the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, and the straight-faced, glass-fronted Sears Tower in Chicago.

Roberts spent six days in a Tokyo jail after police apprehended him for climbing the 225-metre Shinjuku Tower without a rope, which horrified the Japanese police and fire brigade.

He was originally sentenced to between two and six months in jail but a TV channel caught a cop on TV punching Roberts in the face. "It was not that bad, the punch," recalled the Spiderman.

But Emaar Properties, developers of Dubai Marina, have welcomed Roberts to climb one of its signature properties along Sheikh Zayed Road. Mansour Al Othaimin, corporate director of Emaar Properties, said: "Roberts brings a message of courage to Dubai and is a great inspiration for us all. Emaar instantly recognised his dedication to achieve excellence, something that we can constantly strive for in providing quality homes to the community."

The Dubai Marina, situated next to the Dubai Media City and the Internet City, is a self-contained community carved out of the desert edge with a 3.5 kilometre free-flowing canal that was later flooded with sea water.

It is strategically located by Interchange 5, right next to the beach-front signature buildings such as the majestic Burj Al Arab and postcard perfect Jumeirah Beach Hotel.

Emaar is one of the key sponsors of DSF 2004, which starts in seven days.

Saeed Al Nabouda, CEO of the Dubai Shopping Festival, said: "There is no doubt that Emaar's participation in DSF will add more value. They will be presenting many activities that can be enjoyed by all members of every family of different nationalities."

Roberts said climbing is his passion. He suffers from vertigo, and his accidents have partly disabled him. But he has become the world's top solo climber.

As a skilled motivational speaker, Roberts brings a message of hope and inspiration to Dubai.
"We set our limits, but we are all strong enough to aim higher, to achieve our goals. All we have to do is find such strength within ourselves and know how to develop it."