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Morocco’s Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) has been recognized as a “Climate Hero” by the Youth Constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (YOUNGO).
The recognition was announced at the UN Youth Conference on Climate Change (COY16).
UM6P is one of two institutions in the world that have obtained the recognition of Climate Hero, the Sustainable Development Department of UM6P said in a statement, noting that it “dedicates this appointment to all Moroccans and foreign residents in Morocco.”
“UM6P Youth Statement” was the only statement letter representing the vision of young people in the Kingdom of Morocco during COY16 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
The declaration, which was elaborated by youth representatives from the UM6Pand the local region of Rehamna, featured six themes: climate change, clean energy, sustainable cities and communities, ecomobility, social inclusion, and gender equality.
source/content : moroccoworldnews.com
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Morocco’s UM6P Awarded “Climate Hero” at UN Youth Conference
The three-day race event will start in Hail before finishing in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia is readying to host its first women’s-only motoring event.
Called Rally Jameel, the event consists of 34 teams from 15 countries and takes place from March 17 to 19. It will feature both beginners and seasoned veterans in competition.
The 900-kilometre race, which is being held over three days, will start in the north-central city of Hail, taking in the sites of Al-Qassim city and then heading to the capital, Riyadh , via hidden checkpoints and challenges.
Motorsport racer Dania Akeel, who was the first Saudi woman to participate in the Dakar Rally in 2022, says she hopes the event will help women to feel more at ease while driving.
Elsewhere in the region, the UAE is represented by Atefa Saleh, while Oman will have Sanaa Al Shekaili and Halima Al Balushi behind the wheel.
Al Shekaili was the first Omani racer to participate in the 2020 Middle East Rally Championship, finishing in third place.
Al Shekaili also established the first women’s car club in Oman.
There are three teams taking part from the US while Europe will be represented with a team from Sweden and a team from Spain. There will also be one team from Egypt.
“Taking part in Rally Jameel, for me, is an incredible way to support women who are new to the scene of off-roading and motorsports,” says Sedona Blinson, who has previously participated in Rally Jameel’s inspiration, the Rebelle Rally.
The rally, which is not designed as a speed test, was first announced back in December. It is open to any entrant aged 18 or above and holding a driving license accepted in Saudi Arabia. No special equipment is needed, as the cars are required to be totally unmodified, although they must be a 4×4 or AWD.
source/content : thenationalnews.com
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From left, Oman’s Sanaa Al Shekaili, Saudi Arabia’s Dania Akeel and Sedona Blinson from the US are competing in Saudi Arabia’s first women’s only motoring event. Photo: Rally Jameel
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, topped Forbes Middle East’s Top 50 Travel & Tourism Leaders list.
The list spotlights 50 leaders who drive growth in the Middle East’s travel and tourism industry, building on their desire to reconnect with the world.
Emirates Airline and Group’s revenue reached US$6.7 billion in the first half of the 2021/2022 fiscal year.
Moreover, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths ranked third on the list.
The UAE dominated this month’s list with 24 of the leaders featured based in the UAE, followed by 11 in Saudi Arabia, and four in Egypt.
The hotels and hospitality sector is the most dominant on the list with 26 entries, followed by aviation with 17, and tourism with seven entries.
The U.N. General Assembly approved a resolution to proclaim March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia every year, starting from 2022.
The resolution, adopted by the 193-member UN General Assembly, was introduced by Pakistan’s ambassador Munir Akram on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), on March 15, 2022.
It marks the day when a gunman entered two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 51 worshippers and wounding 40 others in the terror attack.
The UN has adopted a resolution proposed by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Pakistan to designate March 15 the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.
The resolution was adopted three years to the day since a right-wing extremist murdered over 50 Muslims in a New Zealand terror attack on two mosques.
It means that the day will be cemented as an annual reminder of the need to combat Islamophobia.
The resolution was introduced on Tuesday by Pakistan’s ambassador to the UN, Munir Akram, on behalf of the OIC.
“Islamophobia is a reality. Its manifestations — hate speech, discrimination, and violence against Muslims — are proliferating in several parts of the world,” he said.
“Such acts of discrimination, hostility and violence towards Muslim individuals and communities constitute grave violations of their human rights and violate their freedom of religion and belief. They also cause great anguish within the Islamic world.”
Akram cited the words of the UN’s special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, who said: “Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, institutional suspicion and fear of Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim has escalated to epidemic proportions.”
Women and girls have often found themselves at the sharp end of this hatred, said Akram, adding: “The gender aspect of Islamophobia is also gaining prominence, with girls and women being targeted due to mode of their dress and the general notion that Muslim women are oppressed and thus must be liberated.”
He warned that Islamophobia is a “poorly understood” phenomenon that often intersects with anti-immigrant and anti-refugee sentiment.
As such, he said, it is “essential” to promote information about this “disturbing global trend” that can reach the very top of governments in many parts of the world.
The adoption of the resolution follows years of discussion about the need for an international day to combat Islamophobia, initiated in Makkah in 2019 following the New Zealand mosque attacks.
At that time, OIC members, including Saudi Arabia, “stressed the necessity to combat hate and fear of Islam and Muslims.”
In the highly anticipated final, host nation Bahrain took on Ireland. With $100,000 on the line, all was to play for on the last day of competition.
Sabrina De Sousa (Bah) won the first bout of the day against Kerry Ann Vernon (Ire). She showed once again why she’s the #1 ranked female athlete in the world, finishing Vernon with a rear-naked choke in the first round.
Jordan Bradshaw (Ire) then took on Haj Mohammad Ali (Bah). Bradshaw landed a beautiful headkick, almost finishing the bout. However, Ali survived, then finished Bradshaw via a head-and-arm-triangle. This took the score to 4-0 in favour of Bahrain.
Next up, Lewis Byrne (Ire) attempted to turn the tide against Kurban Idrisov (Bah). In one of the closest matches of the day, Idrisov managed to edge out the unanimous decision, taking the score to 5-0. This clinched the MMA Supercup for Bahrain, along with the $100,000 prize.
Jordan Furey (Ire) was impressive in this competition, finishing both of his previous matches. However, Magomed Isaev (Bah) fought the perfect fight, taking Furey down and finishing him with a rear-naked choke early in the first round.
Then the pound-for-pound #1 ranked Ramazan Gitnov (Bah) faced off against Cameron Clements. Gitnov extended his win streak to 22, and Bahrain’s lead to 7-0, with a TKO win in the second round.
Gadzhi Gadziev (Bah) then finished Dennis Perry (Ire) via TKO in the first round.
And in the final match of the day, Sultan Gapizov (Bah) defeated Gustavo Lopez (Ire) via a unanimous decision, taking the final score to 9-0.
Bahrain finished as dominant winners of the inaugural MMA Supercup. The host nation claimed the $100,000 prize in style, remaining undefeated. Ireland will be disappointed to have lost all of their matches, however, they still take home the massive second place prize of $75,000.
The inaugural MMA Supercup concluded in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Eight teams battled it out for the biggest prizes ever awarded in amateur MMA.
Kazakhstan finished 3rd, winning $50,000, Ireland 2nd, winning $75,000, and Bahrain claimed the first place prize of $100,000.
Taking place between 4 and 10 March in Luxor, the festival screened over 45 films from 35 countries in its numerous competitive categories.
The jury of this competition included director Moussa Touré (Senegal), director Yousry Nasrallah (Egypt), director Apolline Traoré (Burkina Faso), critic Kamal Ben Wanas (Tunisia) and actor Jimmy Jean-Louis (Haiti).
The winners are: Best Film: Communion (Tunisia) Jury Award: The Gravedigger’s Wife (Somalia) Special Mention: L’accord (The Agreement) (Cameroon)
The Long Documentaries Competition included 11 titles, with five renowned filmmakers on its jury — director Katie Needy (Senegal), critic Phoebe Curry (Uganda), director of photography Mahmoud Abdel-Samie (Egypt), director Mohamed Seyam (Egypt), and director Peter Sedovia (Ghana).
The winners are: Best Film: Faya Dayi (Ethiopia) Jury Award: Morning Star (Madagascar) Special Mention: The Last Shelter (Mali, South Africa)
The Short Films Competition screened 15 films. The jury consisted of director Khaled El-Haggar (Egypt), director Fatomato Coulibaly (Mali), critic Ahmed Shawqy (Egypt), director Daoud Wilad Al-Sayed (Morocco), and actress Ghalia Ben Ali (Tunisia).
The winners are: Best Film: Tender Threads (Morocco) Jury Award: Baby Blue (Senegal) Special Mention: Sixteen Rounds (Uganda)
The festival also presented films in the Diaspora Competition, screening nine films to a jury consisting of director Rachid Mashharawi (Palestine), producer Doura Bouchoucha (Tunisia), and actor Ahmed Magdi (Egypt).
The winners are: Best Film: As Far As I Can Walk (Serbia) Special Mention: A Brighter Tomorrow (Algeria)
The festival also granted film The Gravedigger’s Wife (Somalia) the FIPRESCI Best Film Award while Egyptian film Batool received Best Film Award in the Women Issues Competition.
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Celebrating African identity through filmmaking, the LAFF was launched in 2010 by the Independent Shabab Foundation (ISF) — a non-profit organisation registered at the Ministry of Social Solidarity.
Founded and chaired by scriptwriter Sayed Fouad, the festival’s board includes Mahmoud Hemida, the LAFF’s honourary president, and Azza El-Husseini, the LAFF’s co-founder and executive director.
In its 11th edition, LAFF chose Uganda as the country of honour and also honoured the late Senegalese director Djibril Diop Mambéty and Tunisian director, Férid Boughedir. The iconic Egyptian star Hussein Fahmy was granted the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Moreover, the festival honoured Egyptian singer and actress Hoda Sultan, actor Mahmoud Morsy and Moroccan director and producer Mohamed Ismail.
The LAFF paid tribute to Egyptian star Amr Saad and Burkinabe filmmaker Apolline Traoré.
The LAFF is organised by the ISF under the auspices of the Egyptian culture, tourism and foreign ministries with the National Bank of Egypt and other partners.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Morocco World News launched a symbolic award, celebrating in a series of articles the outstanding achievements of Moroccan women who have left their imprint on society.
Alongside 10 other strong female leaders, Hannou Oumarouch was placed in special recognition at the top of the list.
Born in 1961, Hannou Oumarouch is a 64-year-old Moroccan woman who lives in Tilmi, 70 kilometers from Tinghir.
Hannou is known for her courage in addressing and defending women’s concerns in the “Ait Hadido” tribe. She has also been active in the Regional Consultative Commission for Equality and Women’s Issues in the region.
Elected to the Municipal Council for the first time under the banner of the National Rally of Independents, she won an electoral seat for the party in the rural commune of Talmi, which is affiliated with Mesmerir in Tinghir province.
She was asked to join a Regional Council mission visiting China, where she represented Morocco and drew the attention of the Chinese media owing to her typical spontaneity and Amazigh attire.
She became a member of the Provincial Council of Tinghir, at the end of September 2021, and subsequently Hannou was elected as president of the commission in charge of social development and the family.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, today honoured the winners of the 6th edition of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Government Excellence Award at Expo 2020 Dubai.
The award ceremony was organised by the UAE government. The award, which included 17 institutional categories, aims at encouraging federal government institutions to better serve the UAE society at all levels and motivate the principles of excellence.
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Government Excellence Award was launched in 2009 under the umbrella of Sheikh Khalifa Government Excellence Programme (SKGEP), which was the first integrated federal platform to gauge and celebrate excellence in performance and innovative initiatives in the UAE federal government.
The award seeks to promote the role of the federal government institutions serving the UAE society at all levels, as well as increasing awareness about the principles of excellence and its role in modern governments. The award also aims at developing the competencies required to boost excellence in the federal government.
List of winners:
-Leading Federal Entity (ministry with more than 500 employees): Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
-Leading Federal Entity (ministry with less than 500 employees): Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economy.
-Leading Federal Entity (departments with more than 500 employees): Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship and Port Security.
-Leading Federal Entity (departments with less than 500 employees): Federal Authority for Government Human Resources; and Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority.
-Best Entity for Performance Improvement: Central Bank of UAE; and Ministry of Community Development.
-Best Entity in Vision Realization: Ministry of Interior.
-Best Achievement of the National Agenda: Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority.
-Best Entity in Enhancing Wellbeing: Ministry of Community Development.
-Best Entity for Institutional Flexibility: Ministry of Interior.
-Best Entity in Wellbeing at the Workplace: Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs.
-Best Achievement of the Leading Position and Competitiveness: General Civil Aviation Authority; and Ministry of Interior.
-Best Entity in Future Readiness: Ministry of Finance.
-Best Entity for Remote Work Applications: Ministry of Health and Prevention.
-Best Entity for Artificial Intelligence Adoption: Ministry of Interior.
-Best Entity in Data and Knowledge Management: Federal Authority for Government Human Resources.
-Best Entity in Partnership and Integration: Ministry of Interior.
-Best Entity in Government Communication: Ministry of Community Development.
-Best Entity in proactive services for customers: Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security.
-Best Entity in the field of Innovation: Ministry of Health and Prevention.
-Best Entity in the field of Service Channels Classification: Ministry of Interior; and Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security.
-Best Entity for Youth Empowerment: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
-Leading Federal Entity in Excellence Sustainability: Ministry of Interior.
Pride of the UAE medals: –
–Dr. Mansoor Mohammed Al Awar.
–Ali Abbas Al Belooshi, orthopedic conducting bone surgery through AI and robots.
–Fatima Al Mulla, UAE researcher and academic in future fields.
-The Prime Minister’s Medal for Distinguished Ambassador:
Abdullah Saif Al Nuaimi, UAE ambassador to South Korea; and Lana Zaki Nussaiba
-The Prime Minister’s Medal for Distinguished Undersecretary:
Mozza Ibrahim Al Akraf, Ministry of Community Development.
-The Prime Minister’s Medal for Distinguished.
-Director-General: Dr Yousef Mohammed Al Serkal, Emirates Health Services and Lt. Suhail Saeed Al Khayali, Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security.
List of winners of Mohammed bin Rashid Scarfs: –
Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Commissioner-General of Expo 2020 Dubai.
–Reem Al Hashimi, Minister of State for International Cooperation.
–Dr. Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Advisor to the UAE President.
–Abdulrahman Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention.
–Khaldoun Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority.
-Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Technology.
Best projects:
–National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority.
The winners’ ceremony for the 13th Makkah Excellence Award took place on Wednesday, with recipients honored by Gov. Prince Khalid Al-Faisal.
The awards were announced earlier in February during the sixth session of the Makkah Cultural Forum, which was held under the theme of “How to be a role model in the digital world.”
In its sixth session, the Makkah Cultural Forum achieved nearly 771 digital initiatives, and the Makkah Excellence Award, since its inauguration, received more than 4,500 initiatives.
The awards covered nine categories.
The Ministry of Sports won the award for administrative excellence, with the prize handed to Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal.
The scientific and technical excellence award went to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah won the environmental excellence award and this was presented to Abdulaziz Alduailej, president of the General Authority of Civil Aviation.
The Special Forces for Hajj and Umrah Security won the award for Hajj and Umrah services. The prize was presented to Maj. Gen. Mohammed Al-Bassami, commander of the Hajj Security Forces.
Two companies were honored for their economic excellence. The first was Um Al Qura Development Company, with the prize presented to Abdullah Saleh Kamel, chairman of the company’s board of directors. The second was Petro Rabigh Company, and the award was presented to Othman A. Al-Ghamdi, Petro Rabigh’s president and CEO.
The humanitarian excellence award went to the Saudi Red Crescent Authority, with the award given to the authority’s president Jalal Alowaisi. The other winner of this award was Fayez Al-Malki, a Saudi actor known for his humanitarian work. Al-Malki was the only individual winner across all categories.
The cultural excellence award went to the Red Sea International Film Festival, and was presented to Film Commission CEO Abdullah Al-Eyaf.
The urban excellence award was given to the Jeddah dome project, and the prize was presented to Nawaf Abdulkareem, director general of Jeddah season.
The Ehsan charity platform was recognized for its social excellence.
Wednesday’s ceremony also honored and announced the winners of the Makkah Days Challenge for Programming and Artificial Intelligence.
Winners included the University of Jeddah for their “Air Supply Ambulance” initiative in the field of Hajj and Umrah, Taif University for an initiative called “Mustahil” in the field of smart cities, and Um Al Qura University for its “Athar” initiative in the field of tourism and entertainment.
source/content: arabnews.com
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Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, the Governor of Makkah region, during his speech. (Supplied)
The day is originally held in the memory of Lieutenant General Abdel Moneim Riyad’s martyrdom in 1969, when he went to the front on the second day of the War of Attrition to personally follow up on the results of the previous day’s battle and to be among his armed forces’ colleagues
“I Am from Every Egyptian House.” Under this slogan, Egypt’s armed forces launched the celebration of Martyr’s Day on the 53rd anniversary of the martyrdom of Lieutenant-General Abdel Moneim Riyad.
