Meet possibly the tallest man in the UAE

No matter which mall he goes to, Abdul Jabbar Fazal feels that shopping in the UAE is impossible. For the past six months, he has been working as a doorman at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, but he spends his time at work or when he is out to help those who ask to be photographed with him.

You see, Fazal is 226 cm (7 ft 5 in). By comparison, the Guinness World Records title for the tallest person in the world is Sultan Kosen from Turkey, who is 251 cm tall.

“Sometimes, I spend three to four hours a day posing for pictures,” he told National. “More than 2,000 photos are taken every day.

“in 2009, Guinness World Records approach me. They came three times a day and measured me.After that, they called me and said: ‘You are the highest [person] said Fazal, 58. Whether he still holds that record, however, is unknown.

Find the right person

Another reason Fazal’s trip to the mall didn’t work out was that nothing fit his frame. “My clothes are made by tailors in the UAE, but it’s hard to get the right shoes for me here. I order shoes from Croatia and they are made just for me there. The downside is that it takes two to five months for a pair to get here. .”

Traffic also has its own obstacles. Fazal said the lack of head and legroom made it impossible for him to drive or even get into most cars.

“My dad is a farmer. So I used to help him drive a tractor home and it was the only car I could drive, otherwise I couldn’t drive. Even taking a taxi was difficult. I took the bus home, but I had to occupy Two seats to be comfortable.

“Flying on a plane is also difficult. I need to buy a business class ticket, which is expensive, but what should I do? An economy class seat is almost impossible for me.”

Despite these inconveniences, Fazal maintains an optimistic character and tries to find a silver lining in every situation. “Sometimes Emirates and Etihad upgrade me to business class so I don’t have to pay out of my pocket. I am also very grateful to the management of the Emirates Palace for providing me with a long bed and mattress , from here to there,” he said with a laugh, sitting as he pointed to the side of the large dining room we were in. “They gave me everything I needed. I’m happy.”

in genes

Fazal revealed that he came from a tall family. His grandmother was as tall as he was, his 27-year-old son was almost 200cm tall, and he estimated his father was somewhere in between.

However, it wasn’t until the age of 20 that Fazal achieved rapid growth. “When I went to the doctor, they told me that the spike was caused by high levels of growth hormone in my brain. I didn’t stop growing until I was 38.”

drowning in glory

Fazal is enjoying his fame thanks to his work at the hotel.

“When I opened the door for the guests, they were all surprised. They jumped out and shouted excitedly: ‘Oh wow! You are tall. Even when the guests got together, they mostly asked for individual rather than group photos. I love it because I make my guests happy.

“It’s the same with malls. Shoppers want to take selfies with me, so I can’t buy anything. It doesn’t bother me, though. Makes people enjoy and happy. It makes me happy too.

“Sometimes the kids get scared when they see me, but I reassure them by speaking softly and trying to dispel their fears. Most kids are happy to see me,” he said.

Fazal’s goal is to build a charitable NGO with like-minded people and help provide clothing, food, housing and shoes to those in need around the world. “I’m busy with work right now, but when I have free time, I’ll do it, God bless.

“Currently, I’m looking for a soul mate to share my life with and enjoy spending time with my 26-year-old daughter who is traveling in the UAE,” said the doorman, who has two children but lost his wife last year.

high above

Fazal firmly believes that life gets better when you are tall. “The biggest practical advantage is the ability to replace damaged bulbs or access items from top shelves and other high places.

“The most important advantage is that people, especially my colleagues at the palace, have a lot of respect for me, thank God.”

Updated: September 30, 2022 at 10:50 am