Two French climbers have scaled the 828-metre high Burj Khalifa to promote the launch of a global campaign to clean the world’s highest peaks.
Stunning images show the French “spiderman” Alain Robert and his climbing partner Alexis Landot reaching the summit of the landmark Downtown building, nine hours after setting off.
Both were tasked with taking on the daunting physical challenge to promote the launch of private banking company Mashreq’s Climb2Change project.
The initiative - led by UAE bank Mashreq - aims to clean up the world’s 14 highest mountains, by taking down rubbish left behind by climbers for recycling.
It was a different kind of experience, but definitely the most exhausting climb I've ever done
Alexis Landot,
professional climber
Death-defying footage of the Burj Khalifa climb was released to coincide with Cop28 to encourage support for the clean-up operation.
“It was my second time climbing this building and for my friend Alexis it was an old dream for him, so the fact we made it together was amazing,” said Robert, 62, who climbed the Burj Khalifa in 2011.
“The climb took nine hours and, although for me it was the second time, it was still very challenging. It’s a very difficult building to climb.
“It's close to one kilometre high and it's very technical.
“Every two to three metres you need to change your technique and hand-holds. It was an exhausting climb.”
Robert is a rock and urban climber from Digoin in Burgundy, east-central France.
He is famous for his free solo rock climbing that sees him take on difficult routes without any safety ropes.
So far, he has climbed more than 170 buildings around the world. The pair were supported by an extensive team of safety professionals during the ascent.
“We used a ladder to come down from the very top,” said Robert, who rails against the world of commercial mountain climbing, preferring the free-form of rope-less ascents.
“The last 200 metres you are inside, and there is no light so you are in complete darkness.
“When you come down from there, you can't see much and you are going down a long, long ladder.”
Daunting challenge
His climbing partner Landot, 23, was inspired by Robert to take up climbing after reading about his compatriot’s exploits in magazines as a child.
The 2011 film Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol that saw Tom Cruise appear to climb the Burj Khalifa spurred him on to achieve his own ambitions.
“When I learnt who Alain was, I was amazed,” he said.
“I saw him climb the Burj Khalifa and it was on the front cover of this climbing magazine, I was inspired and dreamt of doing it with him one day.
“Climbing for nine hours straight was really different from what I'm used to do.
“Especially because we had a rope on this ascent. Usually, we both climb rope-less.
“It was a different kind of experience, but definitely the most exhaustive and exhausting climb I've ever done.”
The planned mountain clean-up expeditions will not only address specific environmental challenges but also raise awareness about the importance of sustainable practices.
Climb2Change will be led by extreme sport athlete Nelly Attar, who was the first Arab woman to climb the world’s second highest peak, the 8,611 metre K2 mountain.
“We will be leading a mass clean-up on high altitude mountains, so mountains that are above 5,000 metres like Everest and K2,” said Attar, who is from Saudi Arabia.
“They have been accumulating so much trash over the last few years, so we're going to be working with local communities to clean up the mountains and bring the trash back down efficiently.
“We're also going to be working with local organisations to devise solutions to protect the mountains in the long run, while also looking at ways to repurpose the waste.”
The project will see collaborations with local authorities and communities, organisations, and volunteers.
Mashreq aims to foster collaboration and inspire a collective commitment to creating a cleaner and healthier environment.
“Climb2Change serves as our strategic global initiative where we actively translate this commitment,” said Ahmed Abdelaal, group chief executive of Mashreq.
“The launch strategically coincides with our active participation at Cop28.
“Our vision for this initiative extends beyond our own impact; we aspire to foster collaboration among individuals and businesses who share our mission.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
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Bharat
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Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
HAJJAN
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
The Year Earth Changed
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Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
