Egyptian giant to get first shoes

Muhammad Heikal regrets missing out on life

One of Egypt's tallest men, 51-year-old Muhammad Hussein Heikal, is about to get his first pair of shoes.

At 2 metres 30 centimetres (seven foot six inches) Mr Heikal has missed out on many things in life, including an education and family life.

But the AFP news agency says the local governor has offered to provide tailor-made shoes at the state's expense for his 45-centimetre (18-inch) feet.

Mr Heikal leads a reclusive life, tending goats in the Egyptian desert.

He says he is illiterate because the taunts of his classmates drove him from school, and he never found love for other reasons.

"Women are frightened by my size," he told AFP.

"I became a figure of fun in the towns and villages," he added.

At least now Mr Heikal, who lives near the southern city of Qena, will no longer have to go barefoot in the desert.