American daredevil Bello Nock has came up with his Dubai stunt idea, now he is waiting on an invitation to be allowed to do it. Courtesy Bello Nock
American daredevil Bello Nock has came up with his Dubai stunt idea, now he is waiting on an invitation to be allowed to do it. Courtesy Bello Nock
American daredevil Bello Nock has came up with his Dubai stunt idea, now he is waiting on an invitation to be allowed to do it. Courtesy Bello Nock
American daredevil Bello Nock has came up with his Dubai stunt idea, now he is waiting on an invitation to be allowed to do it. Courtesy Bello Nock

Daredevil Bello Nock dreams up ‘Burj to Burj’ Dubai stunt


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DUBAI // The US performer Bello Nock has come up with a hair-raising idea for a stunt in Dubai, which he has called the “Burj to Burj”.

Nock, who claims to be the inspiration for Bart Simpson’s vertical hairstyle, will begin his stunt by walking a high wire across the Dubai Fountain lake at the foot of the Burj Khalifa.

He will then be whisked off to the Burj Al Arab, dangling by one leg from a helicopter.

After being dropped off on the luxury hotel’s helipad, Nock, 45, will be shot out of a cannon to fly over the Dubai skyline using a specially designed wing suit.

All of this relies on the stuntman gaining permission for the various stages from the authorities.

Nock hopes the proposed spectacle will trump what he has called the “Ultimate” stunt, which will be filmed in Las Vegas in August and streamed live around the world on his pay-per-view website.

He is calling the Dubai stunt “Ultimate 2” and hopes to perform it as soon as possible.

“Hello Dubai. Recently I challenged you to come up with an epic stunt for me to do in your city,” Nock said in a video posted on YouTube.

“I’ve had some time to think about it, and I’ve come up with something called the ‘Burj to Burj’.”

The posting follows a visit to Dubai last week to promote his show.

“I’m more than ready, willing and able,” said Nock. “All I need now is the invitation.”

On his trip to the Emirate, he said Dubai had many examples of feats of engineering that people had thought could not be achieved.

That idea of achieving the seemingly impossible was what Nock strived for in his 30-year career as an extreme stuntman, he said.

He added, however, that he would not do the stunt without official permission.

“I’m absolutely ready for the challenge now, but I’m not going to do something illegal,” he said. “I’m not going to do a stunt while the authorities aren’t looking.

“Could I do that? I absolutely could and still be safe. I’m a man of no fear, but tremendous respect.

“I would never do that in someone else’s house or country. I’m looking for the invitation first.”

His “Ultimate” stunt in Las Vegas will feature high-wire walks and being shot out of a cannon over the rotating blades of a helicopter.

Nock said he did not fear death but he had never had any major accident in his long and successful career.

“I’m a guy who lives life on the edge,” he said.

“In fact, if you’re not living life on the edge, you’re taking up too much room.”

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if you go

The flights

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The hotels

Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes. 

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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion

The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".

The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.

He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.

"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.

As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.

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