DUBAI // Rolf Buchholz, the world’s most pierced man, who was denied entry into Dubai, was among the top 10 most-searched subjects on the internet in the UAE last month.
The 53-year-old German, who has 453 face piercings and two horns implanted in his head, was turned away last month because of his extreme facial jewellery.
His appearance, he said, led airport inspectors to suspect that he was involved in “black magic”.
Data provided by Google found that “Buchholz” was the sixth most-searched term in the UAE last month.
A spokesman for the internet search-engine giant said that judging by the number of Google image searches it was clear that many were intrigued about what he looked like. “Users in the UAE, curious as to what this man looks like, searched for his images and links on the breaking news story,” he said.
The most searched term last month was Robin Williams, the American comic great who committed suicide, followed closely by the Perseid meteor shower, both hot trending international topics.
India’s Independence Day on August 15, which Google marked with a doodle that day, was fourth.
“According to the Indian embassy, the Indian community in the UAE, numbering 1.75 million, constitutes 30 per cent of the total population,” the spokesman said.
“It is the largest expatriate community in the country, so it comes as no surprise that independence day was a trending topic as users went online to find out more about Indian culture, celebrations and things to do in the UAE on this day.”
The Indian community also impacted another trend last month with the term Raksha Bandhan being the eighth most searched. It is a Hindu festival that celebrates the protective relationship between men and women.
The 10th most-searched subject was Bollywood star Nazriya Nazim, the Kerala native who married fellow Malayalam actor Fahadh Fazil on August 21.
mcroucher@thenational.ae
The Top 10:
1. Robin Williams - Hollywood actor who committed suicide
2. Perseid Meteor Shower
3. Anders Jonas Angstrom - a 19th century physicist, whose birthday was marked with a Google doodle
4. Independence Day of India
5. International Friendship Day
6. Rolf Buchholz
7. John Venn - British philosopher, whose birthday was celebrated with a Google doodle
8. Raksha Bandhan, Hindu holiday
9. James Foley - American journalist beheaded by ISIS
10. Nazriya Nazim - Bollywood actress
