• The ‘French Spiderman’, climbs 300 meters up The Torch hotel in Doha on 12 April, 2012. He took 75 minutes to complete his first climb in Qatar. Faisal Al Tamimi / AFP Photo
    The ‘French Spiderman’, climbs 300 meters up The Torch hotel in Doha on 12 April, 2012. He took 75 minutes to complete his first climb in Qatar. Faisal Al Tamimi / AFP Photo
  • The ‘French Spiderman’ Alain Robert climbs the 388-metre Central Plains Fortaleza tower in Zhengzhou, central China’s Henan province in about two hours on September 22, 2012. AFP Photo
    The ‘French Spiderman’ Alain Robert climbs the 388-metre Central Plains Fortaleza tower in Zhengzhou, central China’s Henan province in about two hours on September 22, 2012. AFP Photo
  • Alain Robert climbs Kuwait City’s Hotel Missoni on February 25, 2014 during celebrations to mark the Gulf emirate’s 53rd National Day and the 23rd Liberation Day. Yasser Al Zayyat / AFP Photo
    Alain Robert climbs Kuwait City’s Hotel Missoni on February 25, 2014 during celebrations to mark the Gulf emirate’s 53rd National Day and the 23rd Liberation Day. Yasser Al Zayyat / AFP Photo
  • Alain Robert uses his mobile phone after climbing the 231-meter high First Tower, the tallest skyscraper in France, at La Defense district in Courbevoie, outside Paris on May 10, 2012. Franck Fife / AFP Photo
    Alain Robert uses his mobile phone after climbing the 231-meter high First Tower, the tallest skyscraper in France, at La Defense district in Courbevoie, outside Paris on May 10, 2012. Franck Fife / AFP Photo
  • The ‘French Spiderman’ climbs up Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower in Dubai on March 28, 2011. Kamran Jebreili / AP Photo
    The ‘French Spiderman’ climbs up Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower in Dubai on March 28, 2011. Kamran Jebreili / AP Photo
  • French climber Alain Robert, popularly known as ‘Spiderman,’ rehearsing his upcoming Cayan ‘Twisted’ tower climb in Dubai Marina in December 2014. Courtesy Alain Robert
    French climber Alain Robert, popularly known as ‘Spiderman,’ rehearsing his upcoming Cayan ‘Twisted’ tower climb in Dubai Marina in December 2014. Courtesy Alain Robert

French ‘Spiderman’ Alain Robert’s great climbs — in pictures


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France’s “Spiderman” is to climb the world’s tallest twisted tower on Sunday.

Alain Robert, who climbed the world’s tallest man-made 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.

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 324m and has 72 floors.

Here is a look back at some of the 52-year-old’s greatest climbs.