Khaleej Times

Dubai Police’s stuntman wheelies 60km to a world record

- Sarwat Nasir sarwat@khaleejtim­es.com

dubai — The Dubai Police have broken yet another world record, carrying out the world’s longest wheelie on an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) along 60km of Sheikh Zayed Road. The Guinness World Record was set by Captain Abdulla Hattawi, a member of Dubai Police and its stunt team as well as an ATV stunt athlete during the Dubai Motorbike Festival on Friday.

The route of the wheelie started at Ghantoot and continued down Sheikh Zayed Road to the doors of the Dubai Motorbike Festival at the Dubai World Trade Centre on Friday. Speaking to Khaleej Times, Hattawi said setting this world record was “dream come true” for him.

“I have wanted to break the record for some years now and when the Dubai Motorbike Festival approached me and asked if I would

The biggest challenge I faced during the attempt was staying focused with everything that was going on around me.” Captain Abdulla Hattawi, member of Dubai Police, ATV stunt athlete

like to collaborat­e on behalf of the Dubai Police Stunt Team for a Guinness World Record Attempt, I knew this was my time to break it,” Hattawi said, who’s held a passion for motorsport­s since he was young and received his first ATV when he was just five-years-old.

“The biggest challenge I faced during the attempt was staying focused with everything that was going on around me. I was surrounded and followed by a convoy of Dubai Police, Dubai Police super cars, media cars and a ride from bikers in the region but I managed to stay focused and broke the record.”

Hattawi revealed that he trains five days a week on his ATV in order to develop and perfect his new stunts. He spent the last month focusing mainly on the world record attempt.

“Physical fitness is really important to what I do. I have to make sure that my body is able to withstand the physical demands that are required in moving and maintainin­g the ATV when performing. I train six days a week in the gym to make sure that I am in good shape for all my stunt shows,” he said.

Even though his training for this world record lasted for a month, Hattawi’s overall riding experience totals to several years.

Since he was five-years-old, Hattawi has spent his evenings and weekends out riding. He decided to start practicsin­g his wheelies all by himself after seeing them on other student shows. “I did my first wheelie when I was 15, after I had perfected the wheelie I began to experiment with other stunts and began to involve some friends of mine. We now perform stunts at various shows in the Middle East and internatio­nally when I’m not working with the Dubai Police,” he said.

Hattawi’s Dubai Police Student Team was establishe­d in 2017 and they also won first place in the Middle East Stunt Championsh­ips in Jeddah last year and came second place in the World Stunt Championsh­ips in Casablanca.

 ?? Supplied photos ?? A convoy of Dubai Police and media persons accompany the stunt man’s daredevil act. Extreme right: Captain Abdulla with some officials after winning the Guinness fete. —
Supplied photos A convoy of Dubai Police and media persons accompany the stunt man’s daredevil act. Extreme right: Captain Abdulla with some officials after winning the Guinness fete. —
 ??  ?? Captain Abdulla Hattawi during his daring performsnc­e on Sheikh Zayed Road on Friday.
Captain Abdulla Hattawi during his daring performsnc­e on Sheikh Zayed Road on Friday.
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