Meet the man in charge at Guinness World Records

We speak to Craig Glenday - the editor-in-chief of the world’s best-selling copyrighted book, and review ten of the UAE’s most weird and wonderful world records

Here are ten of the UAE's most weird and wonderful Guinness World Records... Fastest 10 metres on its hind legs by a horse: An extremely talented, 16-year-old grey gelding called Desert Kismet walked 10 metres on its hind legs in just 9.21 seconds, without being coerced, pushed or otherwise manipulated, at Dubai’s Polo and Equestrian Club in February 2016. Desert Kismet is owned by Sheikha Maryam bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Fastest mobile bed: It reaches a maximum speed of 135kph and was created by Hotels.com as a promotional stunt. The custom-built bed, based on a Ford Mustang GT, was driven into the record books by a professional racing driver in Umm Al Quwain on December 13, 2016, complete with headboard, pillows and bed linen.

Largest gathering of people wearing helmets: On March 13, 2016, 3,929 ­people donned safety helmets at Baniyas Stadium in Abu Dhabi to create a formation depicting the UAE’s flag. Organised by the Ministry of Interior, the participants – men and women – were students from various police academies across the country, as well as members of the public. Courtesy Guinness World Records

Highest sword throw: At Fujairah Fort on November 26, 2010, 18-year-old Hazza Sulaiman Al Shehhi threw a sword 21.275 metres into the air – a height confirmed by a Leica Disto D8 laser measuring device. His record was set during a day of festivities highlighting the significance of the sword within the culture and traditions of the emirate.

Largest book: Measuring 5 metres by 8.06 metres, and weighing 1,500 kilograms, the 429-page This the Prophet Mohamed was constructed by more than 50 people. Unveiled on February 27, 2012, by the Mshahed International Group in Dubai, the book is a compilation of stories highlighting the Prophet’s lifetime achievements.

Largest human image of a national waving flag: More than 4,000 school­children came together last year in honour of the UAE’s 46th National Day to set this record, each one dressed in the colours of the country’s national flag. The students, from Gems Cambridge International School and Gems United Indian School from Abu Dhabi, arranged themselves to create an image of it waving.

Largest jiu-jitsu lesson: On November 25, 2015, as part of the UAE’s inaugural National Sports Day, 2,481 people participated in this record-breaking Japanese martial arts event at the Abu ­Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, smashing the previous best of 2,212. The jiu-jitsu lesson was a complete session following strict guidelines that govern the sport.

Largest serving of khao neeo mamuang dessert: Otherwise known as mango sticky rice, the dish was ­recreated at Anantara The Palm Resort Dubai on October 21, 2016, and weighed 2,831kg. Made from about 1,000kg of rice, 500 litres of coconut milk, 500 litres of coconut cream, 50kg of sugar, 300kg of mango and three litres of oil, it was boxed up and distributed to labour camps across the city.

Largest standing lantern: The entrance of Souq Al Jubail in Sharjah is home to a spectacularly large replica of a lantern, which was officially unveiled on July 3, 2016. It stands 13.09 metres high and is five metres wide. The lantern is made from wood and copper, and trounced the previous record which was set in a Japanese temple eight years earlier.

Largest flower arrangement: More than five million sustainably grown flowers and plants occupy one-tenth of Dubai’s Miracle Garden, arranged in the unmistakable form of an Emirates A380 aircraft – another record set for the UAE’s National Day in 2016. The structure is 73 metres long, 80 metres wide, weighs more than 100 tonnes and took 180 10-hour days to complete.

We meet the man in charge of the Guinness World Records (below) and review ten of the UAE's most weird and wonderful world record gongs (in the gallery above). 

Craig Glenday has, undeniably, one of the world's coolest jobs, the type of role that comes along with depressing infrequency. In the name of "work", he's hung out with Beyoncé and Michael Jackson, played drums for Queen Elizabeth II, been a guest on The Daily Show, opened a session of parliament in Turkmenistan, and generally had what's known as a thoroughly good time. And when he eventually vacates his seat as the editor-in-chief of the world's bestselling copyrighted book, it's certain to be one of the most sought-after positions in publishing.

Glenday is the man in charge at Guinness World Records, and he was recently in Dubai to address throngs of intrigued attendees at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, explaining a bit about what's involved in running the annually published and weighty tome that countless numbers of people dream of being ­featured within. 

Glenday has published 13 books since taking over as editor, and says he started in the organisation nearly 16 years ago, assuming the role of website editor, which eventually merged with the top job. "I studied publishing in Edinburgh," he says in a soft Scottish lilt, "and ended up working in the magazine sector, dealing with all manner of different subjects – DIY, cookery, animals, history and the paranormal. I also wrote a couple of books [The UFO ­Investigator's Handbook and The Vampire Watcher's Notebook], and when I learnt that a position had come up at Guinness World Records, I went all out to get it."

His predecessor quit to pursue a career as a stand-up comedian and Glenday says his extremely broad journalistic background was definitely a factor in him getting the job. As with practically all publishing concerns, Guinness World Records, which was first ­printed in 1951, has had to adapt to the digital age, and there are now 150 staff members working across multiple platforms in various regional offices. When Glenday joined in 2002, there were just 40 ­people in the organisation.

“We still sell between two and three million books a year,” he adds, “and although there are other organisations people could turn to, to verify achievements, we’re still the most trusted authority. We’re a filter and the book is obviously ideal gift material.”

Is there anything left to do when it comes to setting brand-new records, I wonder? “We get about a thousand ­applications a week,” he laughs, “so, yes, there obviously is. The digital world is constantly evolving and throwing up new opportunities for people, and then something like the fidget spinner comes along, and we’ve had many hundreds of submissions relating to just that.”

Not everything is considered for inclusion, though, and countless suggestions are rejected on the grounds of taste and decency, although Glenday insists that every single one is replied to. “We also drop records that aren’t relevant anymore,” he says. “Things like bullfighting and fox hunting we no longer touch; we have to stay in tune with modern sensibilities. We do make room for unpleasant subjects that are in the public interest, such as serial killers, although we certainly wouldn’t be encouraging anyone to break that kind of record.”

If you fancy setting a new world record yourself, you have to give six weeks’ notice before your attempt, to allow time for teams of experts to do the necessary research and arrange verification. Only corporations need to pay – something that’s proved extremely popular – and this, along with the proceeds from sales of the book, helps fund the activities surrounding normal civilian record-setters and -breakers.

The UAE, he says, holds 147 world records right now, with roughly 70 per cent coming from Dubai. Is it possible, though, for a country to overdo it when it comes to this tradition? He doesn’t think so. “It’s been part of building the image of the UAE,” he admits. “The tallest this, the biggest that – it’s a celebration. Some outsiders don’t get it, that’s true, and international news coverage does tend to be unbalanced. I like to think we counteract that by providing a snapshot of the positive stuff.”

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