DUBAI // France’s “Spiderman” is to climb the world’s tallest twisted tower on Sunday.
Alain Robert, who climbed the world’s tallest manmade structure – the Burj Khalifa – in 2011, arrived in Dubai on Tuesday to begin preparations for the 75-storey ascent of Cayan Tower, in Dubai Marina.
The French climber made his name by scaling some of the world’s tallest and most iconic structures, from the Eiffel Tower to the Empire State Building, and Sydney Opera House to the Petronas Twin Tower, in Kuala Lumpur – all without a safety harness.
Sunday’s climb has been two years in the making for the 52-year-old. Mr Robert had initially been given permission by the developer, Cayan Group, to scale the 307 metre-high building soon after its completion, in 2013. However, that plan fell through after the American broadcasting television network, NBC, pulled out of broadcasting the event live.
“I’ve been waiting to climb this building for a long time because it is a unique challenge,” the Frenchman said.
In this case, said the climber, the building design will make for a tough climb. Issues he will come across include the overhang created by the 90 degree twist between the base and top of the tower, and limited space provided by the ledges.
“As I only have room for the tips of my feet, I have to use my fingers to climb – something which is not ideal,” he said.
Sunday’s climb will not be the first time he has experienced clinging to the outside of Cayan Tower, however.
Last December Mr Robert got a taste of things to come during a rehearsal. He climbed the first five floors of the building before making his way up from the 68th to 72nd storey.
Despite wishing to scale the Burj Khalifa in the same manner, he was required to use safety ropes. The same measures do not apply for his climb on Sunday. “I’m glad they are allowing me to do the climb the way I want to do it,” he said.
The event coincides with Cayan’s launch of a Dh1 billion residential and serviced apartment project in Dubai’s Umm Suqeim area.
“An exciting announcement such as this one needed to be done amidst a thrilling event and, thus, we have in store for our guests an electrifying record-breaking climb by Alain Robert. I would like to wish him the very best of luck for his death-defying feat,” said Ahmed Alhatti, president and chairman of Cayan Group.
After climbing five buildings in the UAE – Abu Dhabi’s NBAD and Etisalat headquarters, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, and Al Murjan Tower and Burj Khalifa in Dubai – Mr Robert said he enjoyed the support he received in the UAE.
“Before climbing the NBAD building in 2003 I was being watched by about 10,000 people, but more than 100,000 showed up to watch me in Abu Dhabi,” he said.
Mr Robert said he caught the climbing bug aged 11, after he forgot the keys to the seven-storey building of his family’s apartment, in his hometown of Valence in southern France. It would be his first climb.
“I was scared of heights at the time and wanted to do something to overcome my fear,” he said. Now, more than 40 years later, the urban-climber said he has no intention of slowing down. “As long as I’m in good health I will continue, as climbing has given me so much. I now give motivational speeches and get to travel the world.”
And before his next feat has even begun, Mr Robert has started planning the next.
Residents and visitors can see the Frenchman back in the country in November, when he plans to climb Abu Dhabi’s second tallest building, The Landmark, which stands at 324 metres and has 72 floors.
tsubaihi@thenational.ae
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Results
2pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: AF Thayer, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
2.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: AF Sahwa, Nathan Crosse, Mohamed Ramadan.
3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,000m, Winner: AF Thobor, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.
3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: AF Mezmar, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.
4pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup presented by Longines (TB) Dh 200,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Galvanize, Nathan Cross, Doug Watson.
4.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Ajaj, Bernardo Pinheiro, Mohamed Daggash.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Biog
Age: 50
Known as the UAE’s strongest man
Favourite dish: “Everything and sea food”
Hobbies: Drawing, basketball and poetry
Favourite car: Any classic car
Favourite superhero: The Hulk original
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
Company%20profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Past winners of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
2016 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2015 Nico Rosberg (Mercedes-GP)
2014 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2013 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2012 Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)
2011 Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2010 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2009 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
THREE
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Nayla%20Al%20Khaja%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Jefferson%20Hall%2C%20Faten%20Ahmed%2C%20Noura%20Alabed%2C%20Saud%20Alzarooni%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
