Cayan Group, the developer of the Cayan Tower in Dubai, has condemned the actions of Russian model Viki Odintcova after photographs of her hanging off the edge of the skyscraper without any restraints.
The Saudi-based company said in a statement that the stunt was carried out without its approval or permission and was “in no way a reflection of the Group’s commitments to art, creativity, and the human spirit”.
Odintcova, 23, was held up only by the hand of a male assistant as she hanged from the 1,004-foot tall Cayan Tower, reportedly in a bid to get the perfect Instagram shot.
Gizel Daher, director of Marketing & Communications for Cayan, said: “Although the Cayan Tower has been periodically used for extreme sports events, in all cases there has been safety, security, and emergency services on site.
“We have a process of selecting trained professionals skilled at their craft, especially these high-risk life-threatening events, and carry out a stick review of the safety measures and backup safety measures before approving the event.”
Daher added: “Under no circumstances can we condone Ms Odintcova’s irresponsible actions, and we are in the process of reviewing our security procedures to understand and rectify where the lapse occurred and how to prevent such in the future.”
The company said an immediate legal action “is running against this condemned incident”.
Odintcova, who has more than three million followers on social media, was quoted as saying: “I still cannot believe that I did it. Every time I watch this video, my palms get sweaty.”
