Muhammad Al-Sulami Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — The Red Sea Mall broke the Guinness world record for making the biggest styrofoam or polystyrene ship, the Guinness World Record team in the Middle East said on Saturday. The team made the announcement at the mall in an occasion attended by mall officials, newsmen and some prominent figures in society, along with a large crowd of onlookers. The event was aired live on Mix FM radio, the company said. Mohammad Alawi, CEO of Red Sea Corp., said he was proud of “this international achievement which would place the country's name on top of the creative art field”. The styrofoam ship, which is displayed at the Red Sea Mall on the northern outskirts of Jeddah, is 13.6 meters high, 18.4 meters wide and 4.5 meters deep. It broke the old record which was 13 meters high, two meters deep and 8.5 meters wide, Red Sea Mall officials said. The Red Sea Mall administration has decided to enter the ship model in the Guinness World Records after it was built by a group of professional artists for the competition “Find the Treasure” held during the Jeddah Festival in July. “The world's largest polystyrene ship is considered one of the most successful events in the Middle East and North Africa in 2012,” the company said in a statement. The Red Sea Mall was nominated for the Middle East and North Africa Shopping Center golden award, it added. “We hold in our hearts a great loyalty to our country that makes us always adopt such (innovative) project. It is not a surprise since Red Sea Mall always has committed to support art and innovation,” said Alawi. He said the Red Sea Mall has launched many artistic projects that highlighted the works of a number of creative Saudis who “benefited from the mall's popularity (to) reach a large number of audience.” Building the “lost treasure ship” took a lot of effort and time, it was said. – SG
