World’s Highest Suspended Hotel Suite in the Clouds – St. Regis – Abu Dhabi (UAE) : April 2016

St. Regis Hotel Abu Dhabi. The new iconic Nation Tower development in Abu Dhabi.

Highest suspended Presidential suite in the world. High up in the air at over 200 meters.

Housed in a sky bridge joining two towers. It is positioned between the National Towers’ 48th and 49th floor.

Guests can fly in their choppers, land on the helipad atop the National Tower and be whisked away directly to the Abu Dhabi suite by a private elevator.

The suite is over 1,120 square meters (11,600 sq. ft) of luxury. Features a 2-level luxury majlis, 3 beautiful bedrooms, luxurious Spa, movie theatre alongwith kitchen, dining rooms and a fully equipped gym.

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pix : thepinnaclelist.com

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Abu Dhabi, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E.)

World’s Furthest Leaning Man-Made Tower – ‘ Capital Gate ‘ Abu Dhabi (UAE) : 2011

Abu Dhabi’s Skyscraper ‘Capital Gate’ also known as the ‘Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi. The building officially opened on December 21, 2011.

Capital Gate is 160 meters (520 feet tall) , 35 stories high and with 16,000 sq. meters (170,000 sq.ft) of built area. It is also one of the tallest buildings in the Capital city.

Due to its clever engineering and architectural design, the building leans 18 degrees to the west. It is 4 times more than the Leaning Tower of Suuvhusen. Capital Gate is one of the few diagrid buildings in the world.

Guinness World Records certified as the ‘World’s Farthest Man Made Leaning Building in the World’ in 2018.

Capital Gate is designed by the Architectural firm RMJM , Scotland / United Kingdom.

The building is owned and developed by Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Company (ADNEC).

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pix : wikipedia.org / FritzDaCat

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Abu Dhabi, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E.)

Emirati Physicist Dr.Ahmed Almheri Wins Coveted ‘New Horizons Physics Prize’ USA : Sepember 2020:

Dr Ahmed Almheri, Physicist was awarded the ‘New Horizons Physics Prize’ for his research on black holes in space. The award is founded by ‘The Breakthrough Foundation’ USA.

He is currently a long-term member in the ‘School of Natural Science’. Doing his post-docotral studies in Physics at ‘Institute for Advance Studies (IAS), Princeton University.

First Emirati to be accepted for the post-doctoral studies at Princeton University, University of California.

Education:

-Ph.D – Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara

– M.A. – University of California, Santa Barbara

– B.Sc/B.A – University of Toronto

Awards:

-New Horizons Physics Prize (2020)

-Lancaster Dissertation Award in Mathematics, Physics, Sciences and Engineering (2014)

-Member Martin Hairer ‘Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics’

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Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics / pix: youtube.com

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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E.)

Dubai Police Women Officers pull a Boeing Plane. Set a new World Record : UAE, November 2018

Heaviest aircraft pulled over 100 m by a team (female).

A team of 77 female officers of Dubai police established a world record by pulling a Boeing 777-300ER weighing 168.801 tonnes (168,801 kg/372,142 lb) over 100 meters distance.

Dubai Police entered the Guinness Book of World Records thanks to the feat of 77 of its officers, exclusively females, who dragged an Emirates plane .

A feat for a great cause

The aircraft, a Boeing 777 of 74 meter-long and 240 tons, was pulled with one rope attached to its undercarriage. The exploit was part of Dubai Fitness Challenge, a wonder event that aims to encourage residents to exercise more.

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pix : www.guinnessworldrecords.com

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Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Lebanese Author Amin Maalouf Awarded ‘ National Order of Merit, France ‘ : March 2020

Amin Maaloof . Scholar. Writer. Novelist.

Honours / Decorations :

-Chevalier of the Legion of Honour – France / – Grand officier of the National Order of Merit – France / Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Letrres – France / Knight First class of the Order of the Lion of Finland / Grand Cordon of the National Order of the Cedar – Lebanon / Officier of the Order of Cultural Merit – Monaco

-Spanish Prince of Asturias Award for Literature (2010)

-Sheikh Zayed Book Award for “Cultural Personality of the Year” -2016

-Elected member of the Academie francaise – 23 June 2011 . Maalouf is the first person of Lebanese heritage to receive that honor

Books / Fiction :

Leon l’Africain (1986) Leo Africanus-translated by Peter Sluglett / Samarcande (1988) Samarkand – translated by Russell Harris / –Les jardins de lumiere (1991) – The Gardens of Light – translated by Dorothy S. Blair / –Le Premier siecle apres Beatrice (1992) – The First Century after Beatrice – translated by Dorothy S. Blair / –Le Rocher de Tanios (1993) – The Rock of Tanios – translated by Dorothy S. Blair / –Les Echelles du Levant (1996) – Ports of Call – translated by Alberto Manguel / –Le Periple de Baldassare (2000) – Balthasar’s Odyssey – translated by Barbara Bray

Books / Non-Fiction :

Les Croisades vues par les Arabes (1983) – The Crusades Through Arab Eyes / –Les Identites meurtrieres (1998) – In the Name of Identity : Violence and the Need to Belong – translated by Barbara Bray / –Origenes (2004) – Origins : A memoir – translated by Catherine Temerson / – Le Dereglement du monde (2009) – Disordered World – translated by George Miller

pix: dailystar.com.lb

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French / French-Arab / Lebanese-French

First Arab Musician to be Featured on Times Square Billboard in New York : Amr Diab – Egypt : 2019

Amr Diab (aka) El Hadaba . Musician. Actor.

One of the top selling Arab music recording artists.

Awards :

-7 – World Music Awards / 6 – African Music Awards / many more etc.

-The First Arab singer to receive the largest number of International Music Awards for most album sales in the Middle East . Guinness World Record – 2016

-Inducted into ‘Dubai Star Walk of Fame’ – 2019

-First Arab Musician to be featured by Spotify on a Times Square Billboard in New York – 2019

-Will feature in upcoming Netflix Arabic series for Middle East and North Africa, after his 27-year hiatus from acting.

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pix: musicinafrica.net

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Egypt

World’s Biggest Indoor Skydiving Flight Chamber : Abu Dhabi, UAE : August 2020

World record breaking 32 ft (10 m) in diameter and height of 104 ft making it the world’s largest indoor skydiving wind tunnel.

It is one of 2 world records of CLYMB Abu Dhabi, a sports and leisure attraction on Yas Island.

The other record is of the ‘World’s Tallest Artificial Climbing Wall’

CLYMB Abu Dhabi is awarded for both by Guinness World Records.

CLYMB Abu Dhabi is awarded for both by Guinness World Records. / pix: drifttravel.com

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Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E)

Egypt – World’s Largest Exporter of Frozen Strawberries : 2019

Egypt was the world’s number one exporter of frozen strawberries in 2019, according to a report by the United Nations’ (UN) World Trade Center. 

The Egyptian Food Export Council revealed that Egyptian exports of frozen strawberries made up 20% of all global exports last year, amounting to about 140,000 tons valued at $165 million

In second place behind Egypt is Poland, who exported 94,000 tons of frozen strawberries in 2019. Mexico came in third with 84,000 tons, with Morocco coming in fourth place with 73,000 tons, and in fifth place was China with 48,000 tons.

pix: nilefm.com

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Egypt

World’s First Historic Birth of Arabian Bustard With IVF : Abu Dhabi, UAE : July 2020

Abu Dhabi created a world first record in species conservation , with the birth of the endangered species Arabian Bustard (Ardeotis Arabs) via IVF – artificial insemination.

It was done at the National Avian Research Centre (NARC), Abu Dhabi.

The International Fund for Houbara Conservation(IFHC) Arabian Bustard Breeding Programme, the first of its kind project globally, has successfully bred 42 chicks in captivity.

pix : wam.ae

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Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Jordan’s First UFC Fighter. Making History – Ali Al Qaisi

Ali Al Qaisi (aka) The ‘Royal Fighter’, is the first mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter from the Middle East nation to feature in UFC.

Al Qaisi takes on Mexican Irwin ‘The Beast Rivera’ in the opening bantam weight clash of the UFC Fight Night.

He will be only the second Arab fighter to get signed to the UFC. The only other to be the Dubai based Algerian Mounir Lazzez.

Ali Aqaisi is ready to make history in the UFC Octagon / Image Credit: Facebook / gulfnews.com

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Jordan