Arabian Records (1st post : Eid Al Fitr – 01st Shawwal 1439 (AH) / 15th June 2018 ) / (BETA testing – Research – starting April 2020 till date, on-going)

• Madani says work is ‘essentially a dialogue with the se

• Discusses global events and their influence on identity

In his book “A Saudi Tale: Readings and Encounters in Search for Consciousness,” Iyad Ameen Madani, a Saudi journalist and former minister, is less concerned with recounting the milestones of his life than exploring how his consciousness was shaped and seeking the meaning of his Saudi, Arab and Islamic belonging in a world torn between identities, ideas and centers of power.

It is an intellectual biography that uses personal experience as an entry point for interrogating social, political and cultural transformations, and individual memory as a means of understanding the questions of a Saudi generation that lived through major changes in its country and the world.

The book, first published in English as “A Saudi Tale: Readings and Encounters in Search for Consciousness” and translated into Arabic by Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Al-Amri, represents an extension of its author’s career spanning journalism and public service.

He served as editor-in-chief of Saudi Gazette, director-general of the Okaz Foundation, then as a member of the Shoura Council, and as minister of Hajj and of culture and information, culminating in his role as secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

These positions, however, do not form the book’s focus but rather the backdrop that enabled its author to test his ideas about society, the state and the world.

From biography to the question of consciousness

Madani begins with the concept of consciousness, which he does not reduce to knowledge or intellectual positions, but sees as a comprehensive formation that defines a person’s relationship with himself and his surroundings.

In his introduction, he says: “It is said that consciousness is not merely opinions, information or a system of values, but a comprehensive state, an integrated formation that shapes our perception of reality and grants us a holistic vision of the world.” He then says: “These pages are essentially a dialogue with the self, about what it means to be Saudi, and also Arab and Muslim.”

From this starting point, he poses the question that governs his project: “Can these identities be reconciled with the givens of modernity? What is modernity, really? Can there be multiple modernities? Indeed, has modernity itself become an outdated concept?”

The author does not claim to possess final answers, but describes his work as “a reflective journey through an intellectual biography, tracing the sources and courses of consciousness.”

The book is divided into five sections, beginning with Components and Frameworks, in which he addresses the formation of consciousness, his journalistic experience and the emergence of the new world order. The second section, An Ideal Societal System, discusses issues of the general will, the individual and social relations.

He then moves to The Global South, in the Footsteps of Authenticity, to questions of liberation, discrimination and identity, before examining in Close Horizons the Islamic worldview, the Arab predicament and the Saudi narrative, culminating in the section The Outcome.

Madinah: A Debate on Modernity

Among the book’s most telling passages is the author’s recollection of the atmosphere of Madinah in his youth, when intellectual and political discussions flourished among school students during the 1960s and early 1970s. He notes that such debates were neither frowned upon nor rare, but were “part of everyday intellectual activity.”

Here he recalls names such as Mohammed Hassan Awwad, Abdullah Al-Qasemi, Ahmed Al-Sibai, Hamza Shehata and Abdullah Abduljabbar as figures of that intellectual ferment. He pauses on Awwad’s book “Khawatir Musarraha” (“Outspoken Reflections”), which he sees as having helped break the stagnation and open the way for modernity. He also reflected on the intellectual transformations of Abdullah Al-Qasemi, who moved from defending tradition to critiquing inherited norms and calling for liberation from the authority of history and rigid doctrines.

The young people’s interests did not stop at Arab thought. Existentialism was present through Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus and Simone de Beauvoir, alongside Fyodor Dostoevsky, Arthur Miller and Emily Bronte, as were the causes of nationalism, liberation from colonialism and scientific socialism, and the ideas of Mohammed Iqbal, Ali Shariati, Jamal Al-Din Al-Afghani, Mohammed Abdo and Malek Bennabi.

The author evokes a scene from cultural life in Madinah, when Umm Kulthum’s voice reached gatherings of young people under the palm trees via Egyptian radio, in a scene where music intertwined with reading and discussion.

Madani does not exaggerate the maturity of that experience, acknowledging that the discussions were not always profound, but came within “persistent attempts to create an inner sense of understanding the self, and at the same time of belonging to a wider world in which ideas and identities intersect and questions intertwine.”

This testimony offers a glimpse into the history of Saudi culture, revealing that questions of freedom, modernity and identity were present among young people decades ago.

What it means to be Saudi

Saudi identity occupies a central place in the book. Madani rejects reducing Saudis to their Arab or Islamic identity alone, calling for an understanding of the specificity of their historical and cultural experience, “not as Saudis being merely Muslims or Arabs, but as Saudis with their own unique identity and particular experience.”

He notes that Saudis were not subjected to Western colonialism, yet were not isolated from its cultural and intellectual influences. He therefore does not believe that confronting stereotypes is achieved through rejection, but through acquiring knowledge and the tools of research and development, and the ability to produce an independent vision of progress.

He says: “Saudi identity is not a mere shell bearing foreign values, as Saudis have never been subjected to colonialism or the enslavement of the white man. Yet one cannot deny the existence of a struggle, a struggle with a West that is considered superior.

“This superiority stems not only from military dominance, but from its possession of the tools of knowledge, technology and expertise, and from its ability, through research and development and cross-border mass media, to impose a normative conception of success and to have its cultural patterns adopted.”

He poses a question: “If Saudis do not understand the meaning of their ‘Saudiness,’ how can they define their sense of belonging? And how can they formulate their perception of a unique civil national identity?” Here the book shifts from critiquing how others view Saudis to interrogating the way Saudis understand themselves, and the extent of their ability to formulate their national narrative.

Identity and dominant narratives

The search for identity extends to the Islamic and Arab affiliations. In regard to the former, the author distinguishes between Islam as a faith and civilizational experience, and the use of religion to justify domination and violence.

He discusses the phenomenon of “Islamophobia,” which reduced Islam to extremism and overlooked its intellectual and civilizational contributions. As for his Arab identity, he evokes the impact of colonialism and Western narratives of Arab history, and discusses the Zionist narrative of Palestinian history as one manifestation of the struggle over memory and identity.

Identity and dominant narratives

The search for identity extends to the Islamic and Arab affiliations. In regard to the former, the author distinguishes between Islam as a faith and civilizational experience, and the use of religion to justify domination and violence.

He discusses the phenomenon of “Islamophobia,” which reduced Islam to extremism and overlooked its intellectual and civilizational contributions. As for his Arab identity, he evokes the impact of colonialism and Western narratives of Arab history, and discusses the Zionist narrative of Palestinian history as one manifestation of the struggle over memory and identity.

He also rejects isolation as a means of protecting identity, affirming that the Kingdom “cannot close its doors and be content with itself, or isolate itself from the outside world.”

The conclusion of his experience seems closer to a call for an identity conscious of itself, one that does not abandon its roots nor make them an obstacle to progress. An identity that accepts dialogue and revisits assumptions, and grants the individual the right to participate in shaping his future.

The significance of “A Saudi Tale” lies in the fact that it does not present identity as a complete answer, but rather as a question that calls for revision. It also offers a testimony of a Saudi generation that lived through major transformations and tried to understand its place within them.

From this angle, the book is not merely the story of one man, but a reading of the formation of Saudi consciousness, and of the relationship between national specificity and human belonging, between memory and modernity, and between the ideas a person inherits and what he chooses to become.

This article was first published in Asharq Al-Awsat.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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SAUDI ARABIA

Mayar Mohammed received AED 500,000 after reading more than 60 books during this year’s competition.

Egyptian student Mayar Mohammed, 11, has won this year’s Arab Reading Challenge at a ceremony in Dubai, receiving AED 500,000 after reading more than 60 books during the competition. GazaI Teem, 16, from Palestine placed second, while Saudi Arabia’s Rian Al Zakri, 11, finished third.

Mayar said she plans to use part of the prize money to build a small library at her school. She described reading as something that has shaped both her thinking and her daily routine, helping her organise her time between school and books.

Organisers said more than 40.2 million pupils from 60 countries entered this year’s edition, including 74,062 participants in the people of determination category. The competition also involved 138,426 schools and 161,507 supervisors.

Other awards included AED 300,000 for Outstanding Supervisor winner Fakhri Mayas from Jordan and AED 1 million for Best School, awarded to Seedy Amer Primary School in Tunisia. Suhaib Majd from New Zealand won the category for Arab pupils living abroad, while Mahmoud Omran from Syria received AED 200,000 as Reading Champion in the people of determination category.

Since its launch, the Arab Reading Challenge has attracted more than 203 million pupils, one million schools and 1.1 million supervisors, according to organisers.

source/content: cairoscene.com (headline edited)

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EGYPT / DUBAI, U.A.E

 The Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) has named Moroccan scholar Dr. Said Yaktine as Cultural Personality of the Year for the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2026), recognising more than four decades of contributions to Arabic narratology and literary criticism.

Yaktine has advanced the study of classical and modern Arabic narrative, examining the novel, Arab storytelling traditions and the impact of digital technology on literature. His research also explores hypertext, digital literature and the changing ways knowledge is produced and received.

Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of SBA, said, “Dr. Said Yaktine has developed an extensive body of scholarship spanning several fields. His reference works have enriched Arabic narratology and literary criticism, advanced approaches to studying the novel and Arab narrative heritage, and explored digital texts and the changing nature of literature in the age of technology.”

“His selection as Cultural Personality of SIBF 2026 recognises the value of rigorous academic research and its lasting influence on future generations of scholars, writers and readers,” he added.

Al Ameri said this honour aligns with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who has made recognising leading Arab cultural figures and their intellectual achievements central to the emirate’s cultural project, ensuring their contributions are recognised and introduced to new generations.

“Under the guidance of H.H. Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of SBA, we continue to strengthen the fair’s role in honouring these scholars and introducing audiences to their work, raising awareness of Arab cultural achievements and expanding their international reach,” he stated.

Commenting on the honour, Dr. Yaktine said, “I have participated in several editions of SIBF and witnessed its continued growth, with more publishers, a broader cultural programme, diverse creative and intellectual activities, improved workshops for children and young people, and consistently high standards of organisation and punctuality.”

He added, “The fair has also expanded its international reach, welcoming writers and researchers from around the world and featuring a different Arab or foreign country at each edition. Its growing appeal among visitors of all ages reflects its place in Sharjah’s year-round cultural activities, which have truly made the emirate a permanent capital of Arab culture.”

Born in Casablanca, Morocco, in 1955, Yaktine earned a postgraduate qualification in 1988 and a State Doctorate from Mohammed V University in Rabat in 1997. He began his career teaching at secondary schools before moving to Hassan II University in Casablanca and later Mohammed V University, where he became a professor.

From 1997 to 2004, he headed the Department of Arabic Language and Literature at the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences in Rabat. He also coordinated research into Andalusian-Moroccan narrative heritage and served as a visiting professor at several Arab and European universities.

Yaktine’s critical approach emerged in the 1980s through his study of the Arabic novel, focusing on narrative time, the narrator, point of view and discourse. His early works contributed to Arab literary debates on modern critical methods and their application to literature.

He later expanded his research to Arab narrative heritage, particularly popular epics and traditional storytelling, exploring links between classical and modern narratives and approaches that account for Arabic literary traditions while engaging with international theories.

Yaktine expanded his research into digital and interactive literature, examining how hyperlinks and electronic media have changed the structure and reading of texts, and the challenges digital technology presents for literary criticism and cultural and educational institutions. In 2011, he was elected President of the Arab Internet Writers Union.

He has published more than 20 books on classical and modern Arabic narrative.

Yaktine has received several Arab literary and academic awards, including Morocco’s Grand Book Prize in 1989 and 1997, the Abdul Hameed Shoman Award for Young Arab Researchers in 1992, and the Arab Internet Writers Union Award in 2008.

He won the Sheikh Zayed Book Award in 2016 for ‘Al Fikr Al Adabi Al Arabi: Al Bunyat wa Al Ansaq’, followed by the 2022 Katara Prize for Arabic Novel in the Literary Studies category for ‘Al Sardiyat Al Tatbiqiya: Qira’at fi Sardiyat Al Riwaya Al Arabiya’, and the 2022 Kuwait Prize for the Advancement of Science in Narratology.

His selection as Cultural Personality of the Year recognises his contributions to Arabic literary criticism and his work connecting Arab narrative heritage with contemporary literary scholarship.

SIBF 2026 will bring together 2,673 publishers and exhibitors from 124 countries, with 1,500 cultural, creative and artistic events. The Sultanate of Oman will be the Guest of Honour.

source/content: wam.ae (headline edited)

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pix: facebook.com (@said.yaktine)

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MOROCCO / SHARJAH, U.A.E.

We caught up with Tali Marjieh between tour stops to talk about designing her sister Elyanna’s stage looks with no fashion training, and the gold-soaked vision behind her label, MARTAL.

Originally published on August 2nd, 2026.

As someone who’s spent years reporting on the region’s music scene, I’ve known about Elyanna since she first blew up. What always fascinated me wasn’t only her voice or her meteoric rise, it was her tour wardrobe.

Each performance feels like theatre. Meticulously styled yet emotionally raw, fusing choreography, visuals and music into one huge spectacle. Few Arab artists have nailed that alchemy. Elyanna has, shaping the kind of live performance standard Western pop icons like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé perfected long ago.

Her costumes are opulent and deeply symbolic, as you can see in the delicate lace and in the keffiyeh folded into a crown. Statement pieces that look as if they’ve been plucked from a couture house as much as a grandmother’s heirloom chest.

By pure coincidence, or obsessive stalking, sue me, I discovered that these looks aren’t helmed by designer conglomerates or pulled from showrooms. They’re imagined, stitched and perfected in a cramped LA studio and a local tailor’s shop by her sister and creative co-conspirator, Tali Marjieh.

Tali isn’t only the architect behind Elyanna’s looks. She has also been brewing that on-the-road sorcery into a label of her own, MARTAL: streamlined, rave-coded, minimal fabric, a bit rebellious, almost grungy, very much giving baddie vibes.

After months of following her chaotic studio Instagram stories, where she’d share her design process on the road, I finally reached out. Partly because I needed to unpack the duality at the heart of her work, how she pieces together such intricate, whimsical designs for her sister while running a label on the opposite end of the aesthetic spectrum, all without an army of craftsmen. Partly because my inner Devil Wears Prada alter ego wanted an excuse to live out my fashion journalist fantasy. Either way, I had to try.

When we speak, Tali is between tour stops with Elyanna, still finding time to check in and share snippets of life on the road. “I’ve been having the craziest months,” she tells me.

Her aesthetic for MARTAL could read like Arab futurism. The way I see it, it’s very brat-core, something I imagine Charli XCX and her entourage would wear. It’s stripped down, conceptually and literally, serve-maxxing silhouettes in bold fabrics and cuts, embellished with gold.

“There are a lot of limitations when it comes to performance wear. With MARTAL, I wanted to create ready-to-wear breezy pieces,” Tali told SceneStyled.

“It is about spicy Arab girls living abroad, looking for designs and colours that remind them of home, like gold.”

Gold runs through everything MARTAL does, and for Tali it isn’t decorative shorthand. It’s a token of her Arab roots, the element that turns up in weddings, dowries, household talismans and trinkets, reworked for a generation who grew up between cultures.

“The Arab heritage brings me so much inspiration, and its future gives me hope and motivation. They go hand in hand,” she says

For all the elaborateness of the designs, Tali’s path doesn’t follow the glossy arc of a traditional fashion designer. She didn’t study in Paris ateliers or climb the ranks at a luxury house. She built her craft out of necessity, to fill a gap.

When Elyanna first started performing, the team struggled to find pieces or a stylist who could understand her vision and actually represent her.

“We were put in a situation where we had to create her looks ourselves. I had zero knowledge about showrooms, stylists or brands at the time, so I went to a local fabric store near me, then to the tailor next door, and it all started from there.”

On tour, she handcrafts multiple ensembles, transforming Elyanna through a set of characters. Angel, warrior, baddie, all with an effortless flair that matches the emotional arc of the music onstage, in costumes that look deceptively designer to anyone who isn’t behind the scenes.

MARTAL isn’t a vanity project or an extension of Elyanna’s world. Tali wants it to work as a launching pad for emerging and often overlooked talent from the Arab diaspora, and on tour she’s always scouting young creatives and fashion students to collaborate with.

“The whole idea behind what we do is to open doors for designers, people in music and young creatives,” she says

She’s anti-gatekeeping to a fault, bringing people into her studio chaos, sharing patterns, workspace and production know-how, building an ecosystem that pushes Arab aesthetics into contemporary wardrobes rather than museum vitrines.

She has moved from backstage hero with no cape and ad-hoc tailor to a full designer and stylist steering looks for festival stages and sold-out shows in New York and at Wembley. It’s a rapid apprenticeship of a kind the global fashion industry rarely allows.

She still frames herself as a student, though. A business student, as she puts it, “touring with my sister and building my own brand along the way.”

“With such visibility comes a huge responsibility,” she says. For Tali, representing her Palestinian roots isn’t an aesthetic choice; it’s an inherent part of her conscience.

She recalls something Elyanna said to her right before she took the stage at Coachella, which still gets her through the overwhelming days.

“If I’m the first Arab to do something, it doesn’t mean it’s enough. It means we have to work extra hard to amplify the voice of our culture and our people.”

For all the praise the sisters get, the criticism comes too. “Some outfits, especially those built as a performance extension of a song, are controversial for others,” Tali says.

The ruptures are deliberate, meant to provoke conversation as much as admiration, and she’s unromantically pragmatic about the friction. “Most of Elyanna’s looks are controversial to others. We show a different perspective that some might relate to, and some simply don’t like or accept. But we’re fine with that.”

She brushes it off so nonchalantly I found myself quietly wondering whether she’s a Capricorn. It’s a posture that understands exactly how high the stakes get when fashion becomes a language of identity.

For now MARTAL is a young and mercurial empire in the making, a distillation of everything Tali has learned on the road. She wants people to be choosing it years from now, and to let it mean whatever they need it to mean.

“I’m still new with MARTAL, so I’ll let them choose the legacy and the feeling they want to take from it. But I do want them to understand that Arabs are maximalists when it comes to clothes, and we love it.”

source/content: cairoscene.com (headline edited)

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CHILEAN PALESTINIAN

Qatar’s Al-Kuwari was elected to chair the Arab Parliament’s foreign affairs committee as Saudi Arabia secured the parliament’s presidency.

Qatar’s Shura Council member Mubarak bin Mohammed Al-Kuwari was elected chairman of the Arab Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, Political Affairs and National Security by acclamation during a procedural session in Cairo on Saturday.

The appointment aligns with Doha’s broader foreign policy agenda, which frequently centres on regional mediation and conflict resolution. Al-Kuwari, whose legislative background includes the Qatari-Arab Parliamentary Friendship Group, stated the result reflects regional backing for Qatar’s role in joint Arab action, emphasising the need for ongoing coordination among member states.

During the same session, Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council member Saad bin Sulaib Al-Otaibi was elected president of the Arab Parliament by acclamation. He succeeds the UAE’s Mohammed bin Ahmed Al-Yamahi for a two-year term.

Four deputy presidents were also elected to complete the leadership lineup from a pool of eight candidates. Representatives from Oman (Saeed bin Hamad bin Hilal Al-Saadi), Egypt (Hisham Al-Hosari), and Jordan (Ihsan Barakat) secured seats in the first round of voting. Libyan representative Abdulsalam Nasiyah won the fourth seat following a runoff vote against Hassan Al-Taher Al-Barghouthi.

The newly elected bureau held a closed meeting in Cairo on Saturday to prepare for the upcoming term. The parliament’s standing committees, including the Qatari-led foreign affairs committee and the Palestine committee, are scheduled to meet on Sunday, ahead of the first plenary session of the new ordinary session on Monday.

source/content: dohanews.co (headline edited)

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QATAR

Ain Sokhna Port has been officially certified by Guinness World Records for having the deepest man-made harbor basin on land, plunging to 19 meters.

Kamel El-Wazir, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Transport, received the certificate from accredited adjudicator El-Dafrawi during his visit to the Red Sea port Monday.

Such depth allows the port to accommodate the world’s largest ships, solidifying Egypt’s role as a major global trade and logistics hub.

The Minister expressed great pleasure, emphasizing that the international accomplishment reflects the significant developmental progress across Egypt, particularly in maritime transport. 

Wazir also oversaw the trial operations of the Hutchison Container Terminal Ain Sokhna Port as part of a major Red Sea-Mediterranean corridor.

The terminal is the first to be completed under a major development project at Ain Sokhna Port, following the finalization of its infrastructure. The project is part of a plan to turn Egypt into a regional hub for transport, logistics, and transit trade.

Ain Sokhna Port is a critical link in the integrated Sokhna–Dekheila Logistics Corridor, connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, respectively.  

source/content: egypttoday.com (headline edited)

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Kamel El-Wazir, Minister of Transport, receives Guinness certificate

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EGYPT

 Saudi Shoura Council member Saad Al-Otaibi was elected unopposed as president of the Arab Parliament on Saturday during a procedural session held at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo.

The session was convened to elect the president and bureau of the Arab Parliament, with Al-Otaibi securing the presidency by acclamation.

In his inaugural address, Al-Otaibi expressed his gratitude to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman for their continued support and empowerment of Saudi national talent.

He said his election reflected Saudi Arabia’s prominent regional standing, influential role and longstanding commitment to strengthening joint Arab action, cooperation and solidarity.

Al-Otaibi also thanked Shoura Council Speaker Sheikh Dr. Abdullah Al Al-Sheikh for his guidance, support and confidence, describing his election as the result of coordinated institutional efforts.

He expressed appreciation to the heads of Arab legislative councils and parliaments for supporting the Arab Parliament, as well as its members for their contributions.

Outlining his priorities, Al-Otaibi said the next phase would require a renewed vision and more effective institutional performance, with a greater emphasis on translating parliamentary ambitions into concrete achievements.

He called for clear programs and initiatives capable of delivering measurable results, alongside improved efficiency, stronger partnerships and performance indicators to assess progress and impact.

Such measures, he said, would strengthen the Arab Parliament’s presence in regional and international forums and enhance its contribution to addressing issues of common Arab concern.

Al-Otaibi stressed that joint Arab action was no longer an option pursued only when necessary but an established approach to safeguarding Arab countries’ security, protecting their interests and unifying their positions.

He said solidarity, cooperation and coordinated efforts were essential to confronting the challenges facing the Arab world and enabling Arab institutions to respond more effectively.

Turning to the Palestinian issue, Al-Otaibi affirmed that it would remain at the forefront of the Arab Parliament’s priorities.

He pledged to continue defending the Palestinian people’s legitimate right to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.

He also emphasized the importance of strengthening parliamentary advocacy for the Palestinian cause across regional and international platforms.

Concluding his address, Al-Otaibi called on Arab Parliament members to work collectively to ensure the coming period delivers tangible achievements.

He said the parliament must continue serving as a unified voice for Arab positions, defending the region’s causes and interests while strengthening its influence in meeting the aspirations of Arab nations.

source/content: saudigazette.com.sa (headline edited)

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SAUDI ARABIA

Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), the world’s largest district cooling services provider, has broken two new Guinness World Records for its Business Bay district cooling project in the field of thermal energy storage. The company received the certificates on the sidelines of its participation in the 28th Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (WETEX 2026), organised by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Empower achieved the records of ‘The largest cumulative thermal energy storage tank capacity at a single district cooling facility’ with a capacity of 94.65 MW (154,000 RTh) and ‘The most thermal energy storage tanks in a single district cooling facility’, with six tanks for its Business Bay District Cooling system in Dubai. These two achievements reflect the exceptional scale of the thermal energy storage capabilities Empower has developed within the project, bringing the total number of Guinness World Records held by the Business Bay project to four.

The certificates reflect the advanced engineering and technical capabilities Empower has developed in large-scale district cooling projects, particularly in deploying thermal energy storage (TES) technology, which allows chilled water to be stored during the most efficient periods and used to meet demand at peak times. This contributes to reducing electrical loads during peak hours, raising the operational efficiency of cooling plants, and enhancing the optimal use of energy and infrastructure, in support of resource sustainability and greater resilience in cooling operations.

The Business Bay project had previously set two world records in Guinness World Records: the ‘Highest Capacity District Cooling Plant’, with a current total connected capacity of 293,862 refrigeration tons (RT), and the ‘Largest Cooling Plant Coverage (Number of buildings)’, currently serving 211 mixed-use buildings, including residential, commercial, hospitality and service buildings, among others.

The Business Bay district cooling project is one of the largest district cooling projects in the world, with an ultimate capacity of 451,540 RT. The project comprises nine district cooling plants, including four currently in operation and two under development, supported by a pipeline network exceeding 53 kilometres in length, with a total of 325 buildings.

These achievements come as Empower continues to expand the Business Bay project. In 2026, the company signed a contract for the design of the fifth plant in the area, with a production capacity of up to 44,000 RT, with construction works set to begin in the fourth quarter of the year, as part of its plans to keep pace with the growing demand for high-efficiency district cooling services in Dubai.

Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, said, “The achievement of two new Guinness World Records for the Business Bay project is a significant milestone, further strengthening the track record of both Empower and Dubai in the district cooling sector. It demonstrates that leadership is defined not only by the scale of projects, but also by the ability to deploy advanced technologies that enhance efficiency and deliver sustainable long-term value. This global recognition reflects the engineering and operational expertise we have built in thermal energy storage technologies, and our ability to develop major projects that respond to the growing demand for cooling efficiently, reliably, and sustainably.”

He added, “Thermal energy storage technologies play an important role in enhancing the operational efficiency of the district cooling sector by managing energy demand more effectively and making optimal use of plant capacities at different times of the day. We are proud that the Business Bay project has become a global model that combines large capacity, technical efficiency, and sustainability, and that it has achieved four Guinness World Records reflecting Dubai’s leadership and its ability to develop advanced infrastructure that supports its urban and economic growth. We will continue to invest in innovative technologies and solutions that contribute to energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and strengthen Dubai’s position as a global capital for the green economy and sustainable development.”

source/content: wam.ae (headline edited)

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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)

‘It’s a case study for everything we’ve lost in the process of colonization,’ the Kuwaiti artist says.

For years, Kuwaiti artist Aseel AlYaqoub worked without a gallery, a grant, or any certainty that her research-heavy work was reaching people. Winning the seventh Ithra Art Prize this month, she tells Arab News, gave her validation she did not realize she had been seeking.

AlYaqoub won for “Flora Incognita,” an installation of invented hybrid desert plants escaping the colonial-era archives that named them. The prize comes with a $100,000 grant, and the work will join the permanent collection of the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) in Dhahran.

“It was very emotional, to be honest,” she says. “(The nominees) all have very different practices, so you couldn’t guess who was going to win.”

What moved her most was hearing the jury explain why the work had resonated with them. “I’ve always been independent,” she says. “I sell my own work, and I create my own practice on my own. After a while, you’re like, ‘Am I even going in the right direction?’ (But this shows that) people actually do care about what I care about, and there’s something meaningful in what I’m doing.”

She plans to put the money into a new research-based project and a solo exhibition, and to give part of the prize to charity.

The acquisition of “Flora Incognita” by Ithra means a lot, she says, “because it has a longevity now. It shows that I’m part of a trajectory and a conversation that’s happening in the region.”

“Flora Incognita” was born out of a longstanding frustration. AlYaqoub came across “The Wild Flowers of Kuwait and Bahrain” by British botanist and author Violet Dickson, which presents a purple, lavender-like flower as a new discovery. Known in Arabic as Al-Khuzama, the plant had been used by locals for centuries before it was given its Latin name — Horwoodia dicksoniae, after Dickson.

“It’s this external gaze looking on the desert flower as something that wasn’t there until they arrived,” she says. “This Latinized name becomes the official botanical name for this indigenous plant, and that’s where I draw a line. It’s a case study for everything that we’ve lost in the process of colonization — and also independence from it.”

The installation takes the form of a herbarium.

Its plants — 3D-printed sculptures and graphite botanical drawings — are invented hybrids of two existing species.

“They’re from my imagination. They’re not real,” AlYaqoub says, explaining that she chose invented species to turn the idea of the “alien” back on the classifiers.

“It’s so easy to just reclassify something without really understanding its origins or the people that are familiar with it,” she says. “The colloquial becomes insignificant, and the Western idea of what this flower is becomes more significant. So these plants are alien creatures that defy that classification. It’s like, ‘Well, if you see me as an alien, then here I am.’”

One hybrid pairs a parasitic plant with one capable of cell regeneration. “One is invasive and one is placid. What would happen if they were married, and what would it look like?” she says.

The hybrids are left unnamed. “It’s open to interpretation as to who gets to name them now.”

The drawings, she says, also question who gets to produce scientific knowledge. “Anyone can come and decide what the inside of a seed looks like, and it feels like scientific truth. So I’m challenging that by saying: ‘If I can do these botanical drawings, then anyone can.’”

The plants sit in raw steel cabinets that AlYaqoub fabricated from scratch to resemble a Victorian archive. The idea came from a visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London, where pressed specimens are stored in coded drawers.

“I just felt so sorry for these plants squished in there, in their little sheets,” she says. “It felt more like a prison than an archive.” In the installation, some of the plants escape. “They break free from the drawers, they leave the page, and they rebel against the classification system that they’ve been imprisoned in.”

Research drives all of AlYaqoub’s work, which looks at how states, institutions and scientific disciplines build and sustain authority over territory, history and identity.

“I’m always curious about whose story I’m reading, and how much it is really rooted in truth,” she says. Views from above, including maps and satellite imagery, are a recurring theme. “Who’s looking, and how are they looking?”

She often buys material from antique dealers she has befriended on Instagram, such as a “Free Kuwait” lighter that she calls “so significant in terms of its symbology.” She writes an essay on what she has found, then cuts it to 500 words and then to 150, which becomes her artist statement. She then works in threes: text, object and image.

Saudi Arabia has become central to her career (she describes Saudi audiences as “very eager to learn”), with commissions at Desert X AlUla and in Diriyah before Ithra.

“Once I had my foot in Saudi Arabia, everything just kept rolling,” she says. “When I investigate the landscapes in Saudi, they’re not very far from the landscapes of Kuwait. It just feels like a continuation of the land that’s been separated due to nation-building.”

She is now considering extending “Flora Incognita” into a local, colloquial encyclopedia of plant names and has begun meeting botanists and farm owners. She is also researching the Dilmun civilization that once extended into present-day Kuwait. Next, she says, she would like to exhibit at home in Kuwait.

Gaining recognition regionally first matters to her. “I don’t want to be talking about our landscapes and our places and our histories to ‘them,’ in exile, away from ‘us,’” she says. “I want to talk to us, and then they can hear what we have to say about it.”

source/content: arabnews.com (headlines edited)

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Kuwaiti artist Aseel AlYaqoub. (Supplied)

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KUWAIT

While ancient Egypt dominated the northern Nile Valley, a powerful kingdom emerged farther south in what is now Sudan. Known as Kush, it eventually extended its influence into Egypt, ruling the country during the eighth century BC. Yet despite its political and cultural importance, Kush has received far less archaeological attention than Egypt, and its achievements have often been portrayed as imitations of Egyptian civilisation.

Now, archaeologists have uncovered an ancient workshop producing faience, a brightly coloured glazed material, within a major temple complex in the ancient Nubian capital of Napata. The discovery provides new evidence of how Kushite rulers used specialised craft production to reinforce royal authority and control the manufacture of valuable goods.

In a study published in the journal Antiquity, researchers from Durham University in the UK and New York University in the US report that the Temple of Sanam, built by Kushite king Taharqo in the seventh century BC, was not simply a place of worship. It also served as a production centre for objects associated with royal power and funerary traditions.

“Recent scholarship has increasingly challenged older views that portrayed Kush simply as a copy of Egypt, but important questions remain about how the Kushite state controlled resources, labour, production and the distribution of prestige goods,” said Rennan Lemos, an archaeologist at Durham University and the study’s lead author.

A workshop inside a royal temple

During excavations at the Sanam temple complex, the research team, working with Kathryn Howley of New York University, discovered the remains of a workshop specialising in faience production, alongside hundreds of faience beads and a small funerary figurine known as a shabti.

Shabtis were commonly placed in tombs in ancient Egypt and Nubia. According to funerary beliefs, these small figures could perform work on behalf of the deceased in the afterlife.

Faience was also widely used to make jewellery, amulets and decorative objects because of its bright colours and glossy surface, typically in shades of blue, green and white.

The material was produced by mixing silica-rich ingredients with other substances and heating the mixture until a glassy layer formed on its surface. In ancient Egypt, faience was associated with brilliance and brightness, reflecting both its appearance and its value.

But what particularly interested the researchers was not simply the presence of these objects. It was the location of the workshop itself.

Producing faience involved heating materials in a process that generated smoke and unpleasant fumes. In ancient Egypt, workshops carrying out this activity were generally located on the edges of settlements, away from important central areas.

At Sanam, however, production took place within a major religious complex, suggesting that the manufacture of valuable objects was closely connected to the institutions supporting royal authority.

“This evidence demonstrates that Sanam Temple was not simply a religious monument but also a centre of state-controlled production,” Lemos said.

“The workshop produced faience objects associated with royal power, including shabtis destined for the royal cemetery at Nuri.”

Nuri was one of the most important royal burial sites in the Kushite kingdom, containing the tombs of several rulers, including Taharqo, who ruled Egypt and Nubia during the Twenty-fifth Dynasty.

The discovery therefore offers an unusual glimpse into the economic activities taking place within a royal religious institution and the role of specialised craftspeople in supporting the Kushite state.

Nubian innovation rather than Egyptian imitation

The workshop also revealed an important difference between the manufacturing techniques used in ancient Egypt and Kush.

Egyptian craftspeople commonly used limestone as a source of lime in faience production. But the researchers found evidence suggesting that Kushite artisans may have used crushed seashells instead, an adaptation that made sense because limestone is scarce across much of Sudan.

“The workshop reveals Kushite craftspeople adapted Egyptian-inspired technologies to local conditions,” Lemos explained.

“Instead of relying on limestone, which is scarce in much of Sudan, they appear to have used crushed seashells as a source of lime in the faience recipe. This points to technological innovation rather than simple imitation.”

This finding challenges the long-standing tendency to interpret Kushite material culture primarily through its similarities with ancient Egypt.

Although Kushite craftspeople were familiar with Egyptian technologies and artistic traditions, they did not necessarily reproduce them unchanged. Instead, they selected techniques that suited their needs, modified production methods and created objects carrying meanings specific to Kushite society.

The researchers argue that the workshop also offers rare physical evidence of how the Kushite state exercised economic and political control.

By organising the production of prestigious objects within a royal temple, the authorities may have controlled not only the finished goods but also access to raw materials, skilled labour and the specialised knowledge required to manufacture them.

This suggests a possible difference between the economic foundations of royal authority in Egypt and Kush.

In ancient Egypt, political and economic power was strongly associated with control over agricultural land and production. The new findings suggest that Kushite rulers also placed considerable importance on controlling the manufacture and distribution of luxury and ceremonial objects.

However, the discovery provides direct evidence from one royal temple complex rather than a complete picture of the Kushite economy. It does not establish that all craft production across the kingdom was organised in the same way.

For Lemos, the significance of the findings extends beyond the workshop itself. “This highlights the creativity and agency of ancient Nubian societies,” he said.

Rather than simply adopting Egyptian cultural practices, the Kushites adapted foreign technologies to local circumstances, developed their own production methods and created objects with distinct political and social meanings.

The discovery at Sanam adds an important dimension to the history of Kush, showing that temples could function as centres of economic production as well as religious worship. It also reveals how the artisans who made beads, ornaments and funerary figures contributed to the political authority of one of the Nile Valley’s most influential ancient civilisations.

source/content: dailynewsegypt.com (headline edited)

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SUDAN / EGYPT