By Muhammed Aladdin
In recent years, the Guinness Book of World Records has seen the number of applicants from the MENA region rise by 283%. To cater to the growing Arabian audience, the Global Authority on record-breaking has launched its first office in the UAE in 2012. Ever since, the number of world records held by the Middle East has increased until it reached 602 by late 2018.
These world records have been a source of pride to us all here in the Arab World, here are some of the coolest:
The World’s Oldest University: University of Karueein, Fez, Morocco
Founded in 859 A.D., the University of Karueein in Morocco is the oldest, operating University in the world. It was founded by Fatima Al-Fihri, an Arab Muslim woman, and subsequently, became one of the leading spiritual and educational centers in the Islamic Golden Age.
The World’s Tallest Building: Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE
Dubai is home to the world tallest tower, Burj Khalifa! The structure stands at a whopping 828 meters, dominating the emirate’s skyline. The tower has become one of Dubai’s characterizing landmarks.
The World’s First Stone-Cut Pyramid: The Step Pyramid of Djoser, Saqqara, Egypt
One of the earliest colossal buildings of ancient Egypt,
The World’s Largest Picture Mosaic Formed by People, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
On the World Diabetes Day, 4,500 residents of Saudi Arabia gathered to produce the largest picture mosaic ever formed by people. They broke the record to raise awareness on diabetes.
The World’s Longest Bridge: The Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Causeway, Kuwait City, Kuwait
The bridge is scheduled to be completed in April 2019; it will span the Kuwait Bay to connect Kuwait City with the Subiya mega-development. The usual drive around the bay usually takes over an hour, but with bridge’s construction completed it will be shortened to less than 20 minutes.
The World’s Oldest Church: Aqaba Church, Aqaba, Jordan
Built around 293 A.D. in Jordan, the Aqaba Church is considered to be the world’s oldest purpose-built Christian church. It was unearthed by archaeologists in 1998, and ever since then, it has been holding the world record.
The Largest Flag in the World: The Lebanese Flag, Beirut, Lebanon
The flag that measures an incredible 65,650 square meters has been unfurled to honor the Lebanese Army on its 65th Anniversary. The flag was made in Kuwait under the supervision of the Lebanese Entrepreneur Ashraf Makarem.
