World’s most pierced man claims he was denied entry into UAE

DUBAI // Rolf Buchholz, the world’s most pierced man,
claims he was denied entry into the UAE because of his
extreme facial jewellery and suspicion he was involved in
“black magic”.
“Those who escorted me back to the airplane said that it
was because of the way I looked and that it was because
I am [suspected of] black magic,” said Mr Buchholz, who
has 453 piercings on his body and was due to make an
appearance at a Dubai nightclub on Friday.
“I never got an official answer as to why I was not
allowed to enter Dubai.”
The German national, who is the Guinness World Record
holder for the most piercings on a person’s body, said
that he had no problem getting through passport control
at Dubai International Airport but was stopped at the
checkpoint where passengers’ hand luggage is scanned.
“The took my passport as well as my hand luggage and
asked to go to an office where I asked about what is
happening,” he said. “They were friendly, but didn’t say
anything and took me back to behind passport control.
“I got my hand luggage back but not my passport.”
Mr Buchholz said cabin crew kept his passport and
boarding pass with them until he arrived back in
Düsseldorf via Istanbul.
“I don’t know when they stamped on my passport that
my visa into the UAE was cancelled. They took it, and I
didn’t get it until I was back in Germany.
“The airport personnel escorting me back to the plane
and had a long discussion with other people on how they
should take me back to the plane,” said Mr Buchholz.
“There were police at the plane, and I was not allowed to
stop long enough so that people can see me. They told
me that I should keep moving so that no one spots me.”
He added that his luggage was lost en route to Dubai and
he had to leave without it.
“My luggage was lost and did not get to Dubai in the first
place. I got a call that it is now in Dubai, and I have
asked them to send it back to Germany,” said Mr
Buchholz, adding that Dubai’s airport security had
nothing to do with the lost luggage.
Mr Buchholz said he hopes to come back to Dubai if he
can be assured entry.
“I hope I can enter Dubai again and meet all the people,
but at the moment I don’t see when and how it can
happen,” he said. “I think if people were a little more
tolerant, then the world would be a better place.
“I hope there is a change in Dubai and the whole world,
so that everyone can live in peace.”
Mr Buchholz is scheduled to make an appearance in
Norway at end of the month.
The National was unable to contact airport security at
Dubai International Airport for a comment.