Officer-cum-extreme athlete
Providing exclusive comments to Gulf News about this year’s tribute, the Emirati daredevil said: “Every time I jump from an aircraft with the UAE flag, I have immense pride.”
“My main focus is delivering a clean, precise and most importantly safe stunt performance. Carrying the nation’s colours in freefall is a responsibility our team prepares for extensively,” said Lieutenant Al Shehhi, who has hundreds of skydives and base jumps under his belt.
Precision and patriotism
One of the UAE’s most recognisable figures in extreme sports, Al Shehhi continued: “What the audience sees in a few seconds takes hours of planning: assessing wind conditions, coordinating exit timing, rehearsing deployment procedures and aligning our flight paths to keep the flag stable and visible. Precision and communication are essential, especially when handling a large flag at high speeds.”
He credits Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, as his inspiration.
Hhighlighting the deeper meaning behind the aerial performance, he added: “For us, this stunt reflects the UAE’s spirit of discipline, ambition and teamwork. It’s a demonstration of what can be achieved when preparation and coordination come together at the highest level.”
The sky-high tribute was hosted as part of DFRE’s citywide programme of Eid Al Etihad festivities that will continue to run across Dubai until December 3.