(MENAFN- Guinness World Records )
Dubai, UAE, 20 November 2025 – Guinness World Records™ (GWR) celebrates the 21st edition of Guinness World Records Day, as fans of extraordinary achievement around the globe showcase spectacular feats of determination, perseverance, and exceptional talent.

Among this year’s Arab world achievements is Lebanese athlete Samer Madi, who attempted the Longest duration to maintain a straddle human flag position on a flying helicopter, maintaining the hold for 21 seconds. The attempt took place on 16 November 2025 at the Rene Mouawad Air Base in Lebanon. A professional fitness trainer, Samer trained for this feat by practising the position while hanging from moving cars, trucks, and high-rise buildings.

In the UAE, Abdullah Al Hattawi rode his quad bike while Ammar Alkhudairi balanced on his head and performed sole-juggling football touches, achieving 23 repetitions to break the record title for Most football sole touches on a moving quad bike in 30 seconds (team of two). Together, the duo holds 14 Guinness World Records™ titles, including the longest duration driving a quad bike on wheelie on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai (60 km in 2018), and the Most consecutive football touches while paragliding, with 127 touches achieved over Sharjah in 2023.

Another UAE record saw Hamed Al Shehhi complete the Fastest time to cover 1 km while juggling a football, finishing in 7 minutes 13 seconds. Al Shehhi alone holds 10 Guinness World Records titles, including the Longest back-heel football shot into a basketball hoop, reaching a distance of 12 metres in 2024.

In Jordan, Abdulrahman Makhlouf, who has no lower limbs, balanced on his wheelchair using two fingers from each hand for the longest duration, achieving 30.51 seconds. He also broke another record for the most pull-ups in one minute while in a wheelchair, completing 9 repetitions. Makhlouf is an inspirational figure in his hometown of Irbid, symbolising determination that triumphs over disability.

Also in Jordan, multi-skill athlete Yaser Zeyad smashed five wooden mallets with his hands in 30 seconds, securing a new world record. This marks his second title, following his earlier achievement of inflating a plastic hot-water bottle until it burst in just four seconds.

In Syria, Yazan Saleh added a new title by performing 360-degree rotations while fully suspended by his teeth, displaying remarkable physical control and endurance. Yazan has 12 GWR titles in total.

Commenting on the celebrations, Will Manford, an Official Adjudicator at Guinness World Records, said:
“This year, we encourage everyone to be part of Guinness World Records Day. Whatever your talent is, there’s a record for you. The achievements from around the world demonstrate the diversity of skills and the shared ambition to inspire and uplift others.”

Guinness World Records also unveiled the 2026 edition of its annual book, featuring 2,247 astonishing new achievements, over 80 percent of which are new or updated for this year. More than 48,000 applicants worldwide submitted their attempts over the past year, showcasing extraordinary creativity and talent.

The release coincides with the 70th anniversary of the very first edition in the 1950s. Craig Glenday, Editor-in-Chief of Guinness World Records, said:
“While we take pride in our history, our focus is on today’s and tomorrow’s record-breakers. I want readers to treat the 2026 book as a guide to becoming part of history. Everyone has the potential to be the best in the world at something, and this book is the key.”

Internationally, the celebrations included remarkable achievements:

China: Thirteen-year-old Liu Haoran set the record for the highest bicycle backflip, reaching 2.9 metres.

Japan: Shunichi Kanno broke his own record for the most drink cans placed on the body using air suction, reaching 25 cans during an attempt at the GWR Japan office.

USA: Jessica Martinez, from New York City, achieved the record for the largest afro (female), measuring 29 cm tall, 31 cm wide, and 190 cm in circumference.

United Kingdom: Three titles were achieved at Up at The O2 in London, the future home of the world’s first permanent Guinness World Records attraction launching in late 2026. For the first time ever, Josh Patterson broke the fastest time to climb and descend The O2, completing it in 4 minutes 40.79 seconds, surpassing the 10-minute minimum requirement.

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