Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum shared a video of EXIT139, an invitation-only BASE jumping event staged from Burj Khalifa in February 2025. The footage showed professional athletes leaving a specially engineered platform high above Downtown Dubai and opening their parachutes over the city.
The most important clarification is simple: Sheikh Hamdan shared the event video; official material and event reporting do not say that he performed one of the jumps. The athletes—not the Dubai Crown Prince—completed the 437 recorded jumps.
What was EXIT139?
EXIT139 brought together 31 elite BASE jumpers representing 15 nationalities for a two-day programme at the world’s tallest building. XDubai organised the event with Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, Skydive Dubai and Emaar.
The name referred to the launch point around Burj Khalifa’s 139th floor. Organisers built a 12-metre platform for the event, extending it beyond the tower so athletes had a clear departure point. XDubai’s official video described the platform as approximately 500 metres above the city.
Across the two days, the athletes completed 437 jumps. That is an average of more than 14 jumps per participant, although individual totals varied. The number demonstrates that EXIT139 was a planned programme of repeated professional jumps rather than a single spontaneous stunt.
What does BASE jumping mean?
BASE is an acronym for the four types of fixed objects used as launch points: buildings, antennas, spans and earth, such as cliffs. Unlike an aircraft skydive, a BASE jump begins from a fixed structure or natural feature and usually gives the athlete less time and altitude before landing.
That makes preparation especially important. EXIT139 involved a purpose-built exit platform, designated landing areas, safety briefings and experienced athletes. It was not a public attraction, and the Burj Khalifa observation decks do not offer BASE jumping to visitors.
Who performed the jumps?
The participants were selected professional athletes from the UAE and abroad. They included Emirati athlete Ahmed Al Shehhi, who described jumping from Burj Khalifa as a dream for BASE jumpers and spoke about the mental preparation required.
Event coverage also identified experienced international athletes such as Italian BASE jumper Roberta Mancino. The group’s experience matters because a dramatic social-media clip can make the activity appear simpler than it is. The visible seconds in the air followed extensive planning, training and coordination.
What Sheikh Hamdan posted
Sheikh Hamdan shared a short reel carrying the event totals: 437 jumps, 31 athletes and 15 nationalities. His post helped bring a specialist sporting event to a much wider audience.
Some early descriptions of the reel blurred the distinction between sharing the footage and taking part in the jumps. The confirmed account is that Sheikh Hamdan promoted the event through his social channel. The available official XDubai material names the professional athlete group as the people who jumped.
Why the 139th floor mattered
Burj Khalifa reaches 828 metres at its architectural height, but EXIT139 did not begin at the tower’s pinnacle. The launch platform was installed around the 139th floor, about 500 metres above the surrounding city according to XDubai.
That distinction helps readers understand the footage. The athletes were still jumping from an exceptional height, but claims that they launched from the very top of the tower are inaccurate.
The public At the Top SKY observation experience is also separate. Visitors use designated indoor and outdoor observation areas; they do not access the event platform or the operational areas used by the BASE jumpers.
Was it a competition or a record attempt?
XDubai presented EXIT139 as a challenge centred on precision, endurance and human limits. Its official video did not describe the programme as a public competition with winners, rankings or prize money. It also said the event was not about breaking records.
The strongest supported description is therefore a controlled extreme-sports exhibition. The totals—31 athletes and 437 jumps—document its scale, but they should not automatically be called a world record without a named record authority and category.
Why the event still matters
EXIT139 connected one of Dubai’s best-known landmarks with an international group of specialist athletes. For the city, the value was global visual attention and another example of Dubai hosting technically demanding sports productions.
For readers, the lasting story is not simply the height. It is the organisation required to let dozens of professionals make hundreds of jumps from an occupied supertall building over two days. The footage is spectacular, but the planning, athlete selection and controlled access are what made it possible.
The event should not be treated as evidence that members of the public can arrange the same experience. Anyone interested in skydiving or aerial sports should use licensed operators, follow their eligibility requirements and never attempt to copy a professional BASE jump from an unauthorised location.
Sources include XDubai’s official EXIT139 video, Gulf News event reporting, Khaleej Times participant interviews and Dubai.News’ Burj Khalifa facts guide.
