Guests staying at two luxury hotels in Qatar had the chance to see a gravity-defying spectacle as Red Bull athlete Jaan Roose set a new world slacklining record.
Navigating a razor-thin rope 185 metres above the city, Roose successfully set a new world record for the longest LED-lit, single-building slackline.
Covering a distance of 150 metres, the Estonian athlete and three-time Slackline World Champion walked the distance between the scimitar-shaped Iconic Towers, home to Raffles Doha and Fairmont Doha hotels.
“When I first saw the Iconic Towers, I knew this was a building that I had to walk,” said Roose about the stunt, which was his highest urban walk to date.
“Anything worth achieving comes with its fair share of challenges, and I’m proud to complete this one. Per metre walked, this line was my toughest ever. As an athlete, I’m always looking to push myself further and defy the odds. In this case, the heat and wind conditions added a different element that I needed to react to and manage spontaneously while I was on the slackline.”
Lighting up the slackline doesn’t just make the stunt more visually interesting, but also changed how Roose approached the challenge.
“The warm LED lights and their extra weight also changed how the line interacted with me and my body weight. It’s like skateboarding on a big heavy tree trunk rather than a light board,” he said.
Designed in the shape of a Middle Eastern sword, or scimitar, the towers in Lusail City dominate the skyline. But Roose's achievement isn't the only world first for the building. Fairmont Doha already houses the world’s tallest chandelier.
The elevated stunt was carried out in partnership with Qatar Tourism and is one of several global events taking place in the Gulf nation.
“Qatar has built a sporting legacy for itself and is now a true hub for international sporting events. We’re delighted to support the exhilarating slackline walk event and champion renowned athletes, said Berthold Trenkel, chief operating officer of Qatar Tourism.
Roose is known for slacklining in places where no one has done it before. His latest achievement follows an impressive stunt in Kazakhstan last year, where he crossed a 500-metre-long slackline between two mountains, over the floor of what was once an ancient ocean.
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
The biog
Favourite book: You Are the Placebo – Making your mind matter, by Dr Joe Dispenza
Hobby: Running and watching Welsh rugby
Travel destination: Cyprus in the summer
Life goals: To be an aspirational and passionate University educator, enjoy life, be healthy and be the best dad possible.
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The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
