Thursday, April 27, 2006

World's tallest ice sculpture at Ski Dubai By Aftab H. Kola

History was made recently when Dubai was inducted into the Guinness World Records for the world's tallest ice sculpture. Standing at 40 feet, the sculpture is a replica of the Burj Al Alam, the world’s tallest commercial tower by Dubai-based developer Fortune Group.

In conjunction with the launch of their latest and greatest development, the Fortune Group was set to break more than one world record. The Burj Al Alam, Arabic for The World Tower measures 482 metres and upon its completion in 2009, will be one of the world’s tallest commercial towers, beating current number one, Taiwan’s Taipei 101. To celebrate their crowning achievement, the Fortune Group along with Whisper Events and MAC Advertising decided to fly in France’s Michel Amann, two-time world Ice Carving champion to create the Burj Al Alam in ice.

“The Burj Al Alam is the culmination of a dream and everyone at Fortune Group is standing proud today as we break one existing world record, the tallest commercial tower and create a new record in the Guinness World Records with the world’s tallest ice sculpture,” proudly states Ahmed Khoory, Chairman, Fortune Group, adding “When this idea was just an idea and so far from becoming a reality, I never imagined the Fortune Group would be the name behind such an amazing and historical accomplishment. We are honored and overjoyed to be a part of cementing Dubai’s global recognition.”

The biggest obstacle lay in the logistics behind such a creation. With current temperatures ushering in the advent of an early Dubai summer, this was no simple feat and could not have been realized without the support of Ski Dubai and the Mall of the Emirates. To create the groundbreaking 25 ton edifice, a specialized team of 10 carvers clocked a total of 1440 man-hours and used 45 tons of ice to create an iconic and unforgettable ice sculpture that has forever immortalized Fortune Group’s Burj Al Alam and the emirate of Dubai.

Currently showcased in Ski Dubai at the Mall of the Emirates, the Burj Al Alam ice sculpture is available for public viewing all of this week and gives Dubai's residents and visitors the exclusive opportunity to see what the rest of the world will only read about.

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See what a few oil wells will do for ya?

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