The president of Turkmenistan, one of the most reclusive countries in the world, has unveiled a giant gilded statue of his favourite dog breed in the capital Ashgabat. Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, a former dentist who has ruled the nation with an iron fist since taking power in 2006, presided over the televised ceremony on Tuesday evening. At the end of the festivities filled with music and dance, Mr Berdymukhamedov, 63, was seen strolling on the brand new highway and looking up happily at the six-metre golden statue of his favourite Alabay breed, standing on a giant marble pedestal in the middle of a roundabout of a new residential area for civil servants. Turkmenistan’s state news agency lauded the statute for capturing the “dignity and confidence” of the Alabay, a Turkmen variety of the Central Asian shepherd dog which is included in the country’s list of national heritage. The Turkmen leader previously resorted to other creative forms to honour his favourite dog breed: He has devoted a book to the Alabay and even written a poem about it, reciting it at a government session last year.