UAE sets two Guinness records

DUBAI - A sword-throwing expert and a traditional dance troupe have powered the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to two new spots in the Guinness World Records.

In a sword-throwing competition held in Fujairah, 18-year-old Hazaa Sulaiman Al Shehhi threw a sword up to a height of 21.275 metres and later caught it by its handle, setting a new world record for the highest tossed sword, the Khaleej Times reported Sunday.

In another event held at the same venue Friday, 285 people performed a traditional Emirati dance, smashing the existing record set in Dubai in 2008 when 221 performers took part.

Fujairah crown prince Shaikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi was later handed over certificates of the two new records by Guinness official Tarika Vara.