World records in Dubai we bet you didn’t know about
Let’s face it, Dubai is known for doing things bigger and better. Today, we take a look at the Dubai world records you probably don’t know about! Tallest building in the world? Everyone knows about that. Largest vertical maze? Bet you haven’t heard that before! Read on to discover some of the Guinness World Records in Dubai that you might not know about, yet.
Lesser Known Dubai World Records
Tallest Building
Did you know? As per Guiness World Records, the Burj Khalifa is officially the tallest building in the world — officially recognised in 2010. It rises to an astonishing height of 828 metres (2,717 feet) with more than 160 stories. The Burj Khalifa’s towering presence continues to symbolise Dubai’s ambition, making it one of the most recognized Guinness World Records ever achieved.
Tallest Fountain
The Dubai Fountain, unveiled in 2009, once held the Guinness World Record as the tallest fountain in the world. It could shoot water up to 150 metres into the air, about the height of a 50-story building. The fountain was designed by the same team behind the famous Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas, but Dubai’s version took things to a whole new level with music, lights, and powerful water choreography. For years, it held the record and drew huge crowds, becoming one of the city’s most unforgettable attractions.
Tallest Packet of Crisps
Our first entry happened on June 6th, 2024 and displayed at Ibn Battuta Mall — the tallest crisp packet sculpture in the world. The Guinness World Record in Dubai was the collective effort of popular potato chips brand Lays and Carrefour. It was a whopping four metres or 13 feet tall and made entirely of Lays packets.
Largest Shawarma
This record celebrated one of Dubai’s most popular street foods in style on October 2024. The venue, Al Ghurair Centre, hosted the world’s largest shawarma tasting. A total of 312 people took part in the event. They worked their way through more than 900 shawarmas prepared by Allo Beirut. To make it count, each person had to try three flavours. These included chicken, spicy chicken and chicken avocado.
Largest Synchronised Car Dance
March 5th, 2022 marked a win for Sony Playstation. In honour of the launch of Gran Turismo 7, the popular gaming brand arranged for 265 4x4s to move in formation to create the game’s logo and break a world record in the process.
Largest Fortune Cookie
This is one of the unusual world records in Dubai that is one for the books — the largest fortune cookie in the world. It was, befittingly, displayed at Dragon Mart, a bustling hub of Chinese goods in the emirate. The giant structure weighed 2.287 kg and stood 4 metres tall.
Longest Underwater Radio Broadcast
Another contender for fun world records in Dubai happened underwater, specifically in the Ambassador Lagoon aquarium at the Atlantis Hotel The Palm. A live radio broadcast by radio presenter Stu Tolan was aired as it took place in a 11 metre tank on May 13th, 2017. The duration was five hours, 25 minutes and 25 seconds.
Fastest Police Car
The Dubai Police were presented a Guinness World Record in April 2016 for having the world’s fastest police car in service – a Bugatti Veyron – in their fleet of supercars. With an unbelievable top-speed of 407 km/h and a 1,000-horsepower, 16-cylinder engine, this supercar can go from 0 to 97 km/h in a mere 2.5 seconds.
Longest Bike Wheelie
Abdulla Al Hatawai made a place for himself in Dubai World Records when he steered a quad bike 60km on a wheelie on January 2018. He managed another record in 2022 with the greatest distance travelled, this time while balancing another person on his shoulders.
Largest Line of Pies
This one is for the foodies! On January 2021, Emirates Culinary Guild, USA Pears and Jumeirah Creekside Hotel got together to line up an impressive 2,209 pies. The feat was done in honour of the 15th anniversary of the ascension day of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. After the event, the pies were generously donated to charity.
Simulataneous Parachute Jump with the most People
On February 2013, Dubai earned a daring world record in the skies. Skydive Dubai organised the largest balloon jump of its kind. A total of 25 skydivers parachuted simultaneously from a hot air balloon high above the city. The attempt also set the record for the most skydivers leaping from a balloon in a single flight. It was a breathtaking display of teamwork and adventure that highlighted Dubai’s love for pushing limits.
Tallest Ovservation Wheel
Ain Dubai in Bluewaters Island currently holds the record as the world’s tallest observation wheel. It rises 250 metres, giving unmatched views of Dubai’s skyline, Palm Jumeirah and the Arabian Gulf. Each cabin is designed for comfort, so the 38-minute rotation feels more like a smooth sky-high experience than a simple ride. The sheer size of Ain Dubai makes it almost double the height of the London Eye, which adds to its allure.
Largest Vertical Maze
Dubai also holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest vertical maze. The record-breaking design is built into the front facade of the Al Rostamani Maze Tower, with a surface area 3,947.22 sq. mt.
It’s a sight to behold. From a distance, the front of the structure looks like an enormous puzzle, with patterns that twist and turn upward across its walls. The maze isn’t something you walk through physically, but a massive architectural feature that combines creativity with scale.
Other Surprising Dubai Guiness World Records
Here are other Guinness World Records that were achieved in Dubai and which you might be interested to know:
- Longest handmade gold chain
- Tallest chocolate sculpture
- Largest building in the shape of a picture frame
- Biggest architectural flower arrangement
- Biggest jigsaw puzzle by surface area
- Largest cup of hot tea
FAQs
The world’s fastest police car is the Bugatti Veyron, part of the Dubai Police fleet. It can reach speeds of up to 407 km/h, making Dubai the city that holds this remarkable record for combining law enforcement with one of the fastest supercars ever made.
Yes. In 2015, Dubai set the record for the world’s longest painting by children. The campaign, called “I Am Different, Just Like You”, promoted autism awareness. Over 20,000 children took part, creating a painting that stretched for more than 10 kilometres.
That’s all for our guide on Dubai World Records. Dubai’s world records prove the city never stops thinking big. From daring stunts to quirky food feats, these achievements show there’s always something unexpected to discover.
Can’t get enough? Check out the Guiness World Records in Abu Dhabi.
