There’s nothing they love more in Dubai & the UAE than setting a new world record! In fact, so many world records are being set in the country that they’ve placed a full-time Guinness World Record judge in the UAE to handle the workload; after all, there’s a lot of scrutiny that needs to go into a world record.
Check out this astounding collection of Guinness World Records in Dubai & the UAE.
The world’s tallest tower
Let’s start with the most astounding and obvious in Dubai, you can’t look past the Burj Khalifa, the largest man-made structure in the world.
Standing at an incredible 828m (2,716.5 feet), it is the world’s tallest building as well as holding the record as:
- Tallest freestanding structure in the world (to its very tip, with spire, 829.8m)
- The building with the highest number of stories in the world (163 floors)
- The highest outdoor observation deck in the world (Level 124&125 + Level 148)
- The highest restaurant in the world (At.Mosphere on level 122 – 441.3m high)
- The highest lounge in the world (Levels 152-154 – 585m)
- Tallest service elevator in the world (504m – 1,654 feet)
You can see our complete guide on how to visit the World’s Tallest Tower here.
The World’s Highest Infinity Pool
The spectacular new twin-tower Address Beach Resort sits at the end of The Beach, JBR offers an infinity pool on the 77th floor! At a towering 294m/964 feet above ground level, it’s officially the highest infinity pool in the world, not quite the longest but at 94m you’ll still fit in some decent laps in this adults-only dreamy destination in Dubai.
The largest dancing fountain show in the world
A record that used to be held by the nightly Dubai fountain show on Burj Khalifa Lake in Downtown Dubai, a new record was broken on 22 October 2020 with the opening of the Palm Fountains.
Situated in the waters between Atlantis the Palm and The Pointe, Palm Jumeirah, the Palm Fountain super shooter reaches a staggering 105m into the sky, and the record-breaking fountain display covered 7,327 m².
Learn more about the new Palm Fountains including nightly timings here.
The world’s deepest swimming pool
Scuba diving at 60 metres deep, indoors? Only in Dubai, of course! Opened in July 2021, Deep Dive Dubai holds 14 million litres of water and includes a sunken city for exploring. Free dive, scuba dive, snorkel, dress like a mermaid? This new indoor sensation is bound to be a hit with thrill-seeking tourists in Dubai.
See all the best indoor activities in Dubai here.
The world’s largest hand-woven carpet
Found on the floor of the main prayer hall of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE, the largest hand-woven Persian carpet in the world is a staggering 5,630 m² (60,600.81 ft²).
It took 1,200 weavers a little over a year to complete. Manufactured by the Iran Carpet Company and brought to Abu Dhabi in 9 pieces for final installation – it includes 2.2 billion hand-tied knots and weighs over 12 tonnes.
The world’s fastest roller coaster
We could only be talking about Formula Rossa, the 240 km/hr coaster can be found at Ferrari World on Yas Island. There are plenty of other thrill-seeking rides here, including Flying Aces – the world’s steepest and fastest cable lift (51 degrees and 30km/hr) and the world’s tallest inverted loop at 52m – but it is still the record-breaking Formula Rossa that drives the crowds!
You can check out Ferrari World ticket pricing and free Dubai shuttle options here
The world’s largest indoor climbing wall
This is another record going to Abu Dhabi’s collection of incredible theme parks on Yas Island (but wait, there’s more!).
The CLYMB indoor climbing centre includes SUMMYT, a 141-foot mega wall that indoor rock climbing experts can scale throughout the year.
The world’s largest indoor flight chamber
If that’s not enough, CLYMB is also home to the largest indoor flight chamber measuring 9.5m wide by 26m high.
The world’s largest indoor theme park
We’re on Yas Island Abu Dhabi again for this record at Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi. The entirely indoor theme park is perfect for visiting year-round and has 29 different rides and attractions, including the heroes and villains of DC comics through to Cartoon Junction, Looney Toon Favourites and the Flinstones.
The record was previously held by the 1.5 million square foot (139,354 m²) Dubai theme park IMG World’s of Adventure; however, at 1.65 million square feet (153,290 m²) WB World Abu Dhabi now holds the crown – but just wait, we don’t think they’ll hold it for long!!)
Find out how to get to Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi from Dubai with free transfers
The largest Mall in the world
Now this one holds a little bit more conjecture as it depends on what exactly you’re measuring – square footage, shops, gross leasable area?
Although Dubai Mall still seems to be touted as the leader here at a size of 1.1 million square metres (nearly 12 million square foot) of retail space and over 1200 outlets, there are several Malls in Asia, including New South China Mall and Golden Resources Mall in China, as well as CentralWorld in Bangkok which claim to be larger in the leasable area and total shops.
Dubai can’t officially claim this one as a world record, but we assure you it is HUGE and surprise it’s one of the city’s top 10 highlights for new visitors.
The most leaning tower in the world
Why let the leaning tower of Pisa have all the fun? Deliberately built on an angle, Capital Gate Tower in Abu Dhabi stands at 160m tall and is built to lean 18 degrees to the west, making it the farthest manmade leaning building. They also claim to have the highest suspended swimming pool at the Andaz Hotel, but we haven’t got this one recorded as a Guinness World Record yet.
Find out what it costs to stay at the Andaz Capital Gate Abu Dhabi
The world’s tallest hotel
The Gevora Hotel in Dubai holds the crown as the tallest hotel in the world – would you believe now superseding JW Mariott Marquis by one meter! The Gevora stands at 356 meters (1,168 feet) with 528 rooms.
There are actually taller hotel rooms to be found from floors 102 to 118 at The Ritz-Carlton in Hong Kong, but the 488m tall International Commerical Centre tower in which they sit is not a dedicated hotel, it has mixed residential and commercial floors.
You can find out how much it costs to spend a night in the Gevora here
Most skyscrapers in the world
While we’re on the topic of exceptionally tall buildings… yep, you guessed it. Dubai has more buildings over 300m tall than anywhere else in the world. There are, as of 2019, 21 buildings in Dubai that stand at this lofty height, surpassing even Chinese megacities Shanghai and Hong Kong.
The world’s twistiest tower
Let’s keep going with the city’s towering facts. Dubai Marina is home to Cayan Tower. Each floor of the building sits at a 1.2-degree rotation to the next, resulting in the 307.3 m (1,008.2 foot) structure twisting a whopping 90 degrees from its base.
The world’s longest zipline
In the northern Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, you will find the country’s tallest peak (sadly, no world record breakers there at a mere 1,934 m in height!) but it is home to the worlds longest zipline. Opening on 31 January 2018 the largest unbroken span of the zipline is 2,831.88m (9,291 ft) in length, smashing its way into the record books.
Click here to see how you can book yourself on the world’s longest zipline
The world’s longest urban zipline
And not to be outdone, the city of Dubai also had the world’s longest urban zipline. Straddling Dubai Marina, the 1km long XDubai XLine experience takes you from a 170m high platform from Amwaj Towers to Dubai Marina Mall at an average speed of 80km/hr. [Temporarily closed]
See what it costs to take on the Dubai Marina urban zipline
The world’s highest tennis court
The Burj Al Arab helicopter pad is like something out of a James Bond movie. Federer and Agassi played a match atop the helicopter pad in 2005 to promote the ATP Dubai Duty-Free tennis (bags not playing ball boy for that one) and set the record for playing at 211 metres above ground level.
The world’s largest chandelier
Back down the road to Abu Dhabi continuing to break records here, the stunning Qasr Al Watan presidential palace opened to the Public in 2019. You will find the chandelier in the Spirit of Collaboration Hall weighing in at 12 tonnes with 350,000 pieces of crystal and 30,000 separate lights.
You can visit Qasr al Watan as part of a day tour from Dubai including the Grand Mosque
The world’s largest flower garden
A flower garden in the desert? Seems hard to believe, Dubai Miracle Garden is very inconspicuously buried in the outer area of Dubai known as Dubailand. It was once destined to be a grand theme park destination but has since crept into the suburbs.
The master plan for a stunning garden lived on though. The flower garden which is open seasonally to the public from November to May every year is said to be home to astounding 150,000 blooms. Whilst not the largest in total square metres, it’s the sheer number of flowers and impressive displays that have won it worldwide accolades.
Whilst the claim as the “largest flower garden” does not seem to be substantiated by a Guinness World Record, they DO hold the official record for:
- The largest floral arrangement – an Emirates A380 display measures in at 72.95 m x 78.34m x 21.98m
- The tallest topiary structure in the world – a giant Mickey Mouse measuring in at 18.006m was unveiled at Dubai Miracle Gardens in January 2018 in conjunction with Disney to celebrate Mickey’s 90th Birthday (over 100,000 flowers are reported to have been used!)
- The largest vertical garden in the world
You can check out ticket packages with Dubai hotel transfers here.
The longest driverless Metro system
Did you know that the Dubai Metro is actually entirely automated? Yep, that’s right, Dubai’s most popular public transport included the Dubai Metro Red Line, which runs the length of Sheikh Zayed Road through the heart of the city’s most popular attractions. The 52.1km track, combined with Dubai Metro’s 22.5km long Green Line, makes for the longest driverless metro system in the world, surpassing Vancouver’s Skytrain.
Learn more about how to catch Dubai’s Metro here.
The world’s largest cup of hot tea
The biggest brew in the world measured in at 5,000 litres (1,320.86 gallons) at Dubai’s Global Village in January 2018.
The world’s largest incense burner
At 3m tall and weighing 1000kg (2,200 lbs), the incense burner (mabkhara) made of ashwood and brass by fragrance company Ajmal holds the Guinness World Record. It was unveiled as part of the Dubai Shopping Festival in March 2001
The world’s largest lantern
Well we’re going through inanimate objects, right? You will find this lantern at the entrance to the fresh food Souq Al Jubail in Sharjah. At 13.09m high and 5m wide, the lantern is made from wood and copper.
The world’s largest book
Measuring in at 5m x 8.06m, weighing 1500kg and containing 429 pages, the project to highlight the lifetime achievements of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and the positive influences of Islam was unveiled in Dubai on February 27, 2012.
The world’s largest sword
Who doesn’t need a 14.93m sword right? Found in the middle of Al Saif roundabout in Fujairah, the record was set in December 2011.
The world’s largest gold ring
Najmat Taiba (Star of Taiba), is the world’s largest gold ring on display at Rossella Jewelry at Dubai Gold Souk in Deira.
Weighing in at 64 kilograms (141 lbs), the 21-carat ring boasts over 5kg of diamonds and 615 Swarovski crystals. It was created by 55 goldsmiths and is estimated to cost $3 million USD.
The world’s longest handmade gold chain
While we’re on the topic of jewellery, the “Dubai Celebration Chain” required over 100 craftsmen over 45 days to build the 22 karats 256-kilogram creation to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Dubai Shopping Festival. It was unveiled at the Deira Gold Souk in January 2015 – and later sold off in pieces.
The world’s largest vertical maze
Yep, that’s a thing. A permanent feature of Maze Tower on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, your mind will boggle staring at the 3,974.22 square metre design on the side of this skyscraper tower.
The world’s largest picture frame
This architectural wonder in Zabeel Park, Dubai, might be best known as an observation deck that bridges between the old and new cities of Dubai. It is in fact, still classified as a frame due to its unique structure with a height of 150m (492 feet) making it the biggest picture frame on earth!
Find out how to get tickets to the Dubai frame here
The most number of Nationalities on a plane
Celebrating the diversity of nationalities, Emirates set this record on National Day 2019 with more than 145 nationalities packing an A380 flight on 2 December 2019.
This was certainly a record-breaking fete – but at any given time, there are approximately 50 different nationalities on every Emirates flight!
The largest human image of the UAE National Flag
Yep, we said some of them are a little obscure! The UAE takes immense pride in celebrating National Day and all the diversity that comes with it. Students at GEMS Cambridge College in Abu Dhabi set the record at National Day 46 in 2017 with this effort!
The world’s largest Christmas ornament
Found in the Muslim country of Dubai, of course! The gigantic Christmas Ornament was displayed in the Dubai Mall in 2018 with a whopping 4.68m (15.35 foot) diameter and weighing an astounding 1,100 kgs (2425 lbs).
The world’s most expensive Christmas tree
Another Christmas record! Reportedly costing $11.4 million USD, it was constructed in the centre of Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi in December 2010. The bejewelled tree had 181 items and stood 13.1m tall (we believe Kempinski may have topped this record in Spain in 2019 with a $15 million tree).
Every year Emirates Palace still put up one of the most impressive and luxurious Christmas tree displays in the world.
The world’s largest jigsaw
Yep, this is in Dubai too. The jigsaw inscribed with “the Year of Zayed” in honour of the country’s founding father was unveiled at Dubai Multi Commodities Centre on July 7, 2018. The puzzle contained 12,320 pieces.
The world’s largest umbrella
You guessed it! In the city full of sunshine, of course, you’ll find this one in UAE with a 24.5m diameter and standing at 15.22m in height, it was erected as part of an Emirates Happiness Events in the UAE Capital Abu Dhabi on 24 March 2018.
The world’s largest flag flown
This one we head to the Emirate of Sharjah just northeast of Dubai. On 2 November 2017, to mark national day Trident Support Flagpoles and Sharjah Investment and Development Authority flew the UAE national flag at a whopping 2,488.56 square meters.
The world’s largest suspended aquarium screen
The main tank at the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, found in Dubai Mall, is 32.88 m wide, 8.3 m high, and 7.5m thick, the glass panel weighs in at a whopping 245,614kg!
If you want to head inside the Aquarium, here’s what it costs.
Still to come – the world’s largest observation wheel
Set to open later in 2021, Ain Dubai on the man-made Bluewaters Island stands proudly at 250m (820ft) tall. With 48 capsules and capable of carrying 1400 passengers at capacity, it will beat its nearest competitor, the High Roller in Las Vegas, by a good 42.5m (139ft).
You can learn more fascinating facts and opening details for Ain Dubai here
Wow, what a list! The more we dug, the more records we found. In a city full of superlatives, it’s hard to know what record they will find to impress next.
Any other Dubai & UAE record-breakers you think we’ve missed? We’re sure it’s not long until we’ll be updating this list again!
Information variously sourced from Guinness World Records, Visit Dubai, the National and other online resources. Please notify us if you believe there are any inaccuracies in our review! Recorded as of December 2020, updated June 2021.
Before you go… More important things you should know when planning a trip to Dubai
- Pop into our essential planning information page, it includes everything you need to know about getting around Dubai, a handy guide on what to pack, and top tips for first-timers on the do’s and don’ts, laws, and customs to be aware of.
- Check out this incredible list of 150+ places you should visit when you’re in Dubai.
- Pick up a Dubai Pass from iVenture or a Go City Dubai Pass to save up to 50% on top Dubai attractions.
- Don’t forget to pack your travel insurance!!!
- Discover the best areas to stay in Dubai, or bag a bargain on your accommodation here:
Take me back to the Dubai Travel Blog
Please note we are not a travel agency. This site is a travel blog to help newcomers to the UAE and transit passengers self plan their trip, we cannot book your flights, hotels, visas or connections for you. We may make a small commission if you click on any of our recommendation links.
Dubai Travel Planner