Guinness World Records today confirmed it plans to establish an official presence in the Middle East in response to the region's phenomenal interest in world records.

An official representative will be based in the Middle East later this year with the aim of making it easier and quicker for people and businesses throughout the region to access and achieve world records.

It marks the first step towards the opening of an office in the Middle East, which the company plans for early in 2013.

Guinness World Records headquarters are in London, which is currently supported by offices in New York and Tokyo.

The brand also has official representatives in China, Germany, Australia and South America and is set to open a full Indian office in 2013.

Commenting on the opening, Alistair Richards, Global Managing Director for Guinness World Records said: "We believe that the Middle East has a host on untapped and undiscovered talent, and that there are a great many achievements yet to be discovered and talented people who could challenge themselves"

"It is in response to the huge growth of world records in the Middle East that I'm pleased to announce that Guinness World Records will be establishing a formal presence in the region to enable the people of the Middle East to put their name and their countries in the map."

The announcement was made during a certificate presentation in Dammam, Saudia Arabia, recognising a new record set by local transportation firm Almajdouie Logistics Company.

The company successfully moved an evaporator unit weighing 4,891 tonnes from South Korea to a project site in Saudi Arabia, setting a new Guinness World Records for the 'Heaviest item moved by road freight'.

The load was equivalent to a football field in size measuring almost 124 meters long, 34 meters in width and 12 meters in height, with an assumed weight of 3,500 cars.