Day: January 7, 2026

The Arab Media Union has been officially launched under the umbrella of the Arab Economic Unity Council (AEUC), marking a new step toward strengthening joint Arab media action, supporting development goals, and enhancing regional media integration.

Operating as a specialised body affiliated with the League of Arab States, the newly established Arab Media Union aims to advance professional standards across the Arab media sector and reinforce its role in economic, social, and cultural development.

The Arab Media Union is chaired by Youssef Abdel-Wahab Al-Omairi, with Sally Gad, Vice Dean of Education, Faculty of Language and Media, at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, appointed as Secretary-General.

It brings together a select group of Arab media professionals and academics committed to promoting institutional development and professional excellence in Arab media.

The launch comes as part of the AEUC’s broader strategy to activate specialised sectoral unions, contributing to the growth of the knowledge economy, supporting digital transformation, and fostering closer integration among Arab media institutions.

According to its founding objectives, the Arab Media Union seeks to unify Arab media efforts, enhance professional performance, encourage innovation in media content, and invest in the training and qualification of media practitioners. It also aims to keep pace with rapid technological advances in digital and new media.

Al-Omairi described the union’s establishment as an important step toward building an effective Arab media entity capable of articulating Arab issues and strengthening Arab media presence at regional and international levels.

Professor Gad said the coming phase will focus on launching professional and training initiatives, alongside establishing Arab and international partnerships, to develop the Arab media landscape in line with the highest professional standards.

The Arab Media Union is expected to begin implementing its strategic plan in the coming period, in line with its founding mission under the League of Arab States.

source/content: english.ahram.org.eg (headline edited)

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EGYPT

Nanomaterial produced in space for the first time

Saudi astronaut Rayana Barnawi part of the team

Saudi Arabia has recorded a major scientific milestone with its astronauts helping to produce a cartilage-repair nanomaterial in space for the first time, building on the work done during the Kingdom’s landmark SSA-HSF1 mission in 2023.

The Saudi Space Agency announced that its astronauts’ involvement in 19 experiments aboard the International Space Station would enhance quality of life on Earth.

The SSA explained that the research, led by scientists Yupeng Chen and Mari Anne Snow, in an international collaboration, focused on developing advanced biomaterials for tissue engineering, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

Saudi astronaut Rayana Barnawi helped to conduct the experiments and collect data in the microgravity environment. The material produced could assist in tissue treatment and organ transplantation.

The research findings were published in Nature in July 2025, one of the world’s leading scientific journals.

Barnawi said: “Conducting the experiment in space enabled the fabrication of an advanced nanomaterial and the production of reliable data that supports the development of scientific research contributing to improving human life and serving humanity.”

The SSA said the Kingdom wants to maximize the scientific return from human exploration missions for the benefit of the planet.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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Saudi Arabia has recorded a major scientific milestone with its astronauts helping to produce a cartilage-repair nanomaterial in space for the first time. (SSA)

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SAUDI ARABIA