ALKHOBAR, 8 December 2002 — “He’s as big as a tree,” said one little girl. “No, he’s as tall as a giraffe!” exclaimed a small boy. “How many ice creams could he eat?” another child asked his father. And so it went. That’s the kind of comments one hears when Ghulam Shabbir is near.
The tallest man in the world at 2.55 meters, Shabbir knows that he will attract crowds wherever he goes. He came to the Eastern Province during Ramadan on a fund-raising mission for the poor of his village, Sangrah Saadat, Tehseel Chinyot, in Pakistan. He has visited schools, businessmen and government officials during his stay in the Kingdom. For Eid, Shabbir has been dropping in at hotels, shopping malls and parties to lend a little excitement to the holiday. Arab News caught up with him at Le Gulf Meridien Hotel in Alkhobar where he was greeting children in the hotel’s lobby.
Speaking through an interpreter, Shabbir expressed his thanks to everyone in the Kingdom who has been kind and generous during his latest visit. He particularly wanted to express his gratitude to businessman Dawood Al-Gosaibi and the staff of the Eastern Province Governor’s Office who have facilitated his stay.
“I have been warmly received everywhere I went,” Shabbir said. “These trips are important because they not only give me an income to support myself, but they help me to support more than 300 poor people back in my home village. I have enough funds to build a school in Chinyot and now I am working to earn enough money to build, equip and staff a small hospital there.”
This visit to the Kingdom has been very comfortable for Shabbir because his manager, Qamaruddin Ansari, has been well assisted in making all needed arrangements.
Shabbir is too tall to travel in a regular car so a large vehicle has been adapted to his requirements. The front seat on the passenger side has been removed, allowing Shabbir to stretch out his long legs. A tailor worked ten days to sew Shabbir a new suit for the holiday. As far as his meals, his doctor has advised him to eat mainly vegetables, salads and fruits, and so large quantities of these foods have been made available to him. He admitted that he did indulge in some pudding on Eid Al-Fitr, but other than that, he has been very careful about his diet.
“Being tall has benefits and difficulties,” Shabbir explained. “I must take very good care of my physical self because some of my body’s systems are put under strain due to my height. I have a complete medical check-up every 3-4 months. I am only 20 years old so my health is good, but I must make the best effort now so that I stay in good health in my later years.”
Le Gulf Meridien has been the scene of a daily brunch event during the Eid holiday. Hundreds of families have been coming there in the early afternoon because of the gifts, raffles and special children’s activities. Shabbir has been making appearances at the hotel as part of the fun and it is amusing to see the children’s reaction to his large size. The hands of small boys are engulfed in Shabbir’s huge handshake. Many ask for his autograph. Little girls shyly run up to him with flowers and a few are brave enough to be held in his arms. It is obvious that Shabbir loves the little ones and he is disconcerted when they are afraid of him and start to cry. Prashant Sharma, revenue manager at Le Gulf Meridien, is on hand with balls and balloons to bring back their smiles and eventually most of the tots are willing to stand for a photograph beside giant Shabbir.
It was pleasant for Shabbir to be surrounded by children at Eid, because he is often lonely and misses his home. Due to his fund-raising appearances he has not been back to Pakistan for two years. In another week he will be leaving the Kingdom and then going to Bahrain, Dubai, South Africa and Mexico. Shabbir had a message for all the children in the Kingdom at this holiday time.
“Please darlings listen to your parents and give them your respect,” he said. “Pay special attention to your school work. I didn’t get the opportunity to go to school and this has been a big regret in my life. Education is very important and getting a good education is the best path to a successful future. Happy and blessed Eid to all.”
