World’s tallest... and shortest men in Saudi

The world’s tallest man and his friend, the world’s shortest man, are visiting Saudi Arabia, where they met officials at the civil defence and other government departments, according to newspapers in the Gulf Kingdom.

Ghulam Shabbir and Kumar Ali, both from Pakistan, received gifts from the Saudi civil defence in the southern town of Baha before resuming their tour of the world’s dominant oil power.

Sabq and other newspapers did not say how long the two will stay in Saudi Arabia or whether they will go to other Gulf countries.

Hailing from Punjab the 30-year-old Shabbir is 2.55 meters tall and is registered in Guinness Book of Records as the tallest person alive. He weighs 170 kg.

Shabbir, who went to the Kingdom last year, said he wanted to visit the grave of Hatem Al-Ta’e, a well-know Arab historical figure known for huge generosity and hospitality. “I heard that he was very tall,” he said.

Shabbir grew up in Sangra near Faisalabad, a village heavily reliant on agriculture, according to his manager, Qamruddin Ansari.

A local doctor first noticed that his growth was accelerating abnormally at the age of 10. By the age of 14, Shabbir towered above his family and classmates.

He left school after the fifth grade to work on his family’s farm, cultivating rice and fruits, as is customary in his village. He left the fields at the age of 17.

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