• Afshin Esmaeil Ghaderzadeh has been officially named the world's shortest living man by Guinness World Records. All photos: Pawan Singh / The National
    Afshin Esmaeil Ghaderzadeh has been officially named the world's shortest living man by Guinness World Records. All photos: Pawan Singh / The National
  • Ghaderzadeh, who is from Iran, stands at 65.24cm
    Ghaderzadeh, who is from Iran, stands at 65.24cm
  • The new record holder attended the Dubai ceremony with his parents
    The new record holder attended the Dubai ceremony with his parents
  • He described receiving the record as a 'dream'
    He described receiving the record as a 'dream'
  • Ghaderzadeh was born in and has grown up in the West Azerbaijan Province in Northern Iran
    Ghaderzadeh was born in and has grown up in the West Azerbaijan Province in Northern Iran
  • His height was officially recorded at a ceremony in Dubai on December 15
    His height was officially recorded at a ceremony in Dubai on December 15
  • Speaking of Ghaderzadeh, Guinness World Records editor in chief Craig Glenday said: 'We haven't got a specific diagnosis, but we know it's a form of primordial dwarfism'
    Speaking of Ghaderzadeh, Guinness World Records editor in chief Craig Glenday said: 'We haven't got a specific diagnosis, but we know it's a form of primordial dwarfism'
  • Since arriving in Dubai, Ghaderzadeh has taken a tour of the city
    Since arriving in Dubai, Ghaderzadeh has taken a tour of the city
  • He says the record 'makes him feel special'
    He says the record 'makes him feel special'
  • Ghaderzadeh is embraced by his parents at the Dubai Guinness World Record plaque ceremony
    Ghaderzadeh is embraced by his parents at the Dubai Guinness World Record plaque ceremony
  • Ghaderzadeh's mother is always by his side, his family say
    Ghaderzadeh's mother is always by his side, his family say

Meet the world's shortest man, Iran's Afshin Ghaderzadeh, at 65cm


  • English
  • Arabic

Afshin Ghaderzadeh's confidence was immediately apparent as he walked into a room with eager reporters in Dubai on Thursday, smiling and waving to cameras.

Flying in from Iran, where he was born, Ghaderzadeh was about to be declared the world's shortest living man by Guinness World Records. He walked into the room and was lifted on to the table to receive his plaque.

Ghaderzadeh, 20, stands at 65.24cm, earning him the Guinness shortest man living record. He has surpassed the previous title-holder, Colombia's Edward Hernandez, who measured 70.21cm tall when he was first recognised in 2010. Hernandez was remeasured as 72.1cm in 2020 by Guinness World Records.

Afshin Ghaderzadeh with his parents and a Guinness World Records adjudicator at a press conference in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
Afshin Ghaderzadeh with his parents and a Guinness World Records adjudicator at a press conference in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

“Just thinking about being a part of the Guinness World Records family is like a dream,” Ghaderzadeh said, adding, to “wake up the next day and the entire world knows who you are, that's magical”.

Ghaderzadeh was born and grew up in the West Azerbaijan Province in Northern Iran and enjoys some local fame because of his height. He is known for his kind and outgoing personality.

It has not been easy for him and his parents, who also attended the Dubai ceremony on Thursday. Ghaderzadeh is home-schooled, as he is unable to attend school, and struggles to do everyday things independently, sometimes even walking. His mother said she always needs to be by his side.

Afshin Ghaderzadeh is embraced by his parents. Pawan Singh / The National
Afshin Ghaderzadeh is embraced by his parents. Pawan Singh / The National

Ghaderzadeh, who weighs 5.6 kilograms, has not been officially diagnosed with a condition that has affected his height.

“We haven't got a specific diagnosis, but we know it's a form of primordial dwarfism,” Craig Glenday, editor-in-chief of Guinness World Records, tells The National.

He said the recognition could allow Ghaderzadeh's family to seek medical attention, which otherwise has been difficult for them because of their limited access to medical care.

“A good example would be Sultan Kosen, the tallest man right now. He had a pituitary gland tumour that caused excess growth hormones. By having the record, he came to the attention of the world's media, on a day like today, and a doctor who saw the press conference said, 'Oh we can fix this',” Glenday said.

Ghaderzadeh was very eager to talk to reporters at the ceremony, saying he enjoys the attention. “It makes me feel special.”

It was his first time flying out of his home town, and he has already taken a tour of Dubai.

His height does not seem to stop him living life to the fullest. He loves football and is a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo and former Iranian national captain Ali Daei in particular. He thinks France are going to win the World Cup.

Ghaderzadeh loves to sing and dance, and although he struggles to accomplish some physical activities, he can hold a plank for two minutes.

Asked about the first thing he does when he wakes up, he chuckles and says: “Check my social media.”

What sanctions would be reimposed?

Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:

  • An arms embargo
  • A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
  • A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
  • A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
  • Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

How do Sim card scams work?

Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.

They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards by claiming to be the victim, often pretending their phone has been lost or stolen in order to secure a new Sim.

They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.

The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.

TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SE%20(second%20generation)
%3Cp%3EDisplay%3A%2040mm%2C%20324%20x%20394%3B%2044mm%2C%20368%20x%20448%3B%20Retina%20LTPO%20OLED%2C%20up%20to%201000%20nits%3B%20Ion-X%20glass%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EProcessor%3A%20Apple%20S8%2C%20W3%20wireless%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECapacity%3A%2032GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMemory%3A%201GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPlatform%3A%20watchOS%209%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EHealth%20metrics%3A%202nd-gen%20heart%20rate%20sensor%2C%20workouts%2C%20fall%2Fcrash%20detection%3B%20emergency%20SOS%2C%20international%20emergency%20calling%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EConnectivity%3A%20GPS%2FGPS%20%2B%20cellular%3B%20Wi-Fi%2C%20LTE%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%2C%20NFC%20(Apple%20Pay)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDurability%3A%20Water%20resistant%20up%20to%2050m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EBattery%3A%20269mAh%20Li-ion%2C%20up%20to%2018h%2C%20wireless%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECards%3A%20eSIM%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EFinishes%3A%20Aluminium%3B%20midnight%2C%20silver%2C%20starlight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%20Watch%20SE%2C%20magnetic-to-USB-C%20charging%20cable%2C%20band%2Floop%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPrice%3A%20Starts%20at%20Dh999%20(40mm)%20%2F%201%2C119%20(44mm)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

'Manmarziyaan' (Colour Yellow Productions, Phantom Films)
Director: Anurag Kashyap​​​​​​​
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal​​​​​​​
Rating: 3.5/5

Jigra
Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Rated: 3.5/5
Recent winners

2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)

2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)

2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)

2007 Grace Bijjani  (Mexico)

2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)

2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)

2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)

2011 Maria Farah (Canada)

2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)

2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)              

2014 Lia Saad  (UAE)

2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)

2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)

2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)

2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)

PRESIDENTS CUP

Draw for Presidents Cup fourball matches on Thursday (Internationals first mention). All times UAE:

02.32am (Thursday): Marc Leishman/Joaquin Niemann v Tiger Woods/Justin Thomas
02.47am (Thursday): Adam Hadwin/Im Sung-jae v Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay
03.02am (Thursday): Adam Scott/An Byeong-hun v Bryson DeChambeau/Tony Finau
03.17am (Thursday): Hideki Matsuyama/CT Pan v Webb Simpson/Patrick Reed
03.32am (Thursday): Abraham Ancer/Louis Oosthuizen v Dustin Johnson/Gary Woodland

The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

'The worst thing you can eat'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Company%20profile
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Mobile phone packages comparison
INDIA'S%20TOP%20INFLUENCERS
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Secret Nation: The Hidden Armenians of Turkey
Avedis Hadjian, (IB Tauris)
 

West Indies v India - Third ODI

India 251-4 (50 overs)
Dhoni (78*), Rahane (72), Jadhav (40)
Cummins (2-56), Bishoo (1-38)
West Indies 158 (38.1 overs)
Mohammed (40), Powell (30), Hope (24)
Ashwin (3-28), Yadav (3-41), Pandya (2-32)

India won by 93 runs

What is tokenisation?

Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets. 

Updated: December 15, 2022, 2:39 PM