Author: ArabianRecords.org

SHARJAH, U.A.E: Warsaw International Book Fair 2026 opens with Sharjah as its first-ever Arab Guest of Honour

In the presence of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), Sharjah officially opened its participation on Thursday as the first Arab Guest of Honour in the history of the Warsaw International Book Fair.

The emirate has brought to the European city a cultural project it has built over five decades, presenting a contemporary image of Emirati and Arab culture at one of Central Europe’s leading cultural events.

Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi joined Włodzimierz Czarzasty, Marshal of Sejm of the Republic of Poland; the lower house of the Polish parliament, Marta Cienkowska, Poland’s Minister of Culture and National Heritage; Dorota Malinowska-Grupińska, Chairwoman of the Warsaw City Council, and Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, Marshal of the Polish Senate; at the opening ceremony of the fifth edition of the fair, which runs until 31 May at the National Stadium in Warsaw.

Following the ribbon-cutting, Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi attended the opening ceremony, where she conveyed the greetings of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and his wishes for the fair’s continued success.

She said His Highness has devoted his life to culture because he believes books create the kind of dialogue that allows civilisations to meet with dignity and depth. She recalled the Sharjah Ruler’s words: “Dialogue between civilisations is not an option, but a necessity. And culture is not an inheritance we keep to ourselves, but a noble bridge through which we connect with others.”

Sheikha Bodour added that Sharjah is proud to be the Guest of Honour in a country that understands language as memory, identity and continuity. Describing Warsaw as a city shaped by history and renewed by culture, she said it reminds us that culture does not merely survive history, but has the power to transform it.

She added that Arab and Polish cultures share a deep understanding of literature’s role, noting that poetry in both traditions remains central to how societies understand themselves and express memory, values and belonging across generations.

Sheikha Bodour said Sharjah’s theme at the fair, “Two Civilisations. One Language of Letters”, celebrates difference and reflects the belief that civilisations do not have to resemble one another to understand one another; they only need to approach each other with patience, curiosity and empathy.

In closing, she said that Sharjah comes to Warsaw not only with its stories but also with an open invitation to read one another, translate one another, and imagine together. She expressed hope that the fair would spark a dialogue that continues long after its conclusion and grows stronger between Warsaw and Sharjah.

Włodzimierz Czarzasty, Marshal of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, said it was a cultural honour to welcome Sharjah as the Guest of Honour of Warsaw International Book Fair 2026, and described the emirate’s participation as a valuable cultural contribution that reflects the growing ties between Poland and the UAE.

He said books remain a powerful tool for fostering understanding and dialogue between cultures, while publishers continue to play a vital role in preserving and sharing knowledge across societies.

In her keynote, Marta Cienkowska, Poland’s Minister of Culture and National Heritage, thanked Sheikha Bodour for her remarks at the opening ceremony and praised Sharjah’s appreciation of Polish culture and history. She said cultural exchange remains a powerful means of fostering dialogue and understanding between peoples, adding that the Warsaw International Book Fair plays a vital role in connecting readers, writers and publishers with Poland’s cultural scene.

Dorota Malinowska-Grupińska, Chairwoman of the Warsaw City Council, said Sharjah’s participation as Guest of Honour highlights the role of books and publishing in fostering cultural dialogue and mutual understanding. As a publisher herself, she said books serve not only as cultural products but also as a means of human connection and exchange, adding that Sharjah’s presence in Warsaw brings a new dimension to dialogue with the Arab world.

For his part, Jacek Oryl, Director of the Warsaw International Book Fair, said Sharjah’s selection as Guest of Honour marks a significant moment in the fair’s history and reflects growing cultural ties between Poland and the UAE. He added that the emirate’s participation offers visitors insight into Arab and Emirati culture through its literature, arts, thought and living heritage.

Sheikha Bodour led an official tour of the Sharjah pavilion alongside Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of SBA, joined by distinguished guests including Dr. Tomasz Makowski, Director of the National Library of Poland; and Grzegorz Jankowicz, Director of the Polish Book Institute, alongside publishers and representatives of cultural institutions from Poland and across Europe.

During the tour, visitors were introduced to key initiatives and programmes that reflect Sharjah’s cultural project, including works presented by Emirati publishers, initiatives led by the emirate’s cultural institutions, and heritage and artistic activities featured as part of Sharjah’s participation in the fair.

The fair’s inaugural day featured the IKAR Publishing Season Awards ceremony, organised by the fair. This year’s Ikar Award was presented to Polish author Professor Stefan Chwin in recognition of his literary and humanitarian contributions, and his role in defending human values and cultural memory in contemporary Polish literature.

The IKAR Publishing Season Awards also honoured Piotr Dobrołęcki, who received the Author award for his contributions to Poland’s cultural and literary scene, while Wydawnictwo Czarne received the Publisher award for its role in enriching the country’s publishing industry and bringing influential literary and intellectual works to readers. The Bookstore award went to Księgarnia Artystyczna Firmin w Gdańsku for its efforts to promote reading culture and strengthen the presence of books in community life.

This year’s Warsaw International Book Fair features more than 1,200 cultural and professional events, reinforcing its position as one of Central Europe’s leading cultural platforms. Sharjah’s participation as Guest of Honour presents a model for Arab cultural engagement built on dialogue, openness and the strengthening of connections between peoples through literature, arts, and knowledge.

Over four days, Sharjah is presenting on its 400-square-metre pavilion, an institutional and creative presence reflecting the diversity of the UAE’s cultural landscape, with the participation of 21 cultural, academic and media institutions, 36 Emirati writers, poets, academics and artists, alongside 15 Polish participants, in a programme based on direct dialogue between Arab and Polish cultural experiences and placing books at the heart of exchange between peoples.

Sharjah’s participation includes 35 cultural events, featuring 28 panel discussions, four poetry evenings, and three children’s workshops, held across the fairgrounds, the University of Warsaw, and the Grochoteka Public Library, in addition to 18 musical performances by the Sharjah National Band at the Warsaw National Theatre. These performances introduce fair visitors and audiences across Warsaw to the elements of traditional Emirati arts through a programme that links written knowledge with immersive cultural experience.

Sharjah will also be activating public spaces, libraries and theatres, transforming Warsaw into an open platform introducing audiences to the history and contemporary Emirati and Arab culture.

As a key part of the programme, the project Tasawurat (“Visions”) brings together 10 artists and designers from the UAE and Poland to produce works inspired by Arabic and Polish poetry, exploring themes including humanity, nature, the sea, and existential reflection. It combines elements of Arabic poetic tradition with poster art, a defining feature of Poland’s visual culture.

The emirate’s pavilion comprises a showcase of cultural and academic institutions.

source/content: wam.ae (headline edited)

_______________

______________________________________________

SHARJAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)

SAUDI ARABIA : MAY 2026: 1.7m pilgrims performing Hajj this year, 2.04% more than last year

1,546,655 people travel from outside of the Kingdom to take part in the pilgrimage, 160,646 are citizens or residents of Saudi Arabia

388,694 benefit from Makkah Route Initiative, a service that lets them complete all entry procedures at point of departure, thereby avoiding long queues on arrival, 23.7% more than last year

More than 1.7 million pilgrims are performing Hajj this year, the majority of whom live outside of Saudi Arabia, according to authorities in the Kingdom.

The total number of 1,707,301 is an increase of of 34,071, or 2.04 percent, compared with the 1,673,230 who attended the 2025 Hajj.

This comes amid continuing efforts to streamline pilgrimage operations, expand facilities at entry points and enhance services, officials said, and reflects the steady demand for Hajj places despite evolving regional and global conditions.

The increased attendance also underscores the Kingdom’s ongoing focus on operational efficiency, they added, particularly through the digitalization of services, improved crowd-management systems, and enhanced coordination between security, health and logistical authorities.

Figures provided by the General Authority for Statistics reveal that 1,546,655 pilgrims traveled from outside of the Kingdom to perform Hajj, while 160,646 are citizens or residents of Saudi Arabia. The vast majority of those arriving from abroad, 1,485,729, traveled by air, 54,429 entered the country through land crossings, and 6,497 arrived by sea.

The number of pilgrims who benefited from the Makkah Route Initiative, a service that allows them to complete all entry, passport and customs procedures at the point of departure and transports them directly to their accommodation, thereby avoiding long queues at airports on arrival, increased to 388,694, compared with 314,337 last year, an increase of about 23.7 percent.

The total number of people working in support of Hajj operations increased to 441,049 from 420,070 last year. However, the number of volunteers decreased from 34,540 in 2025 to 26,701, a decline of 22.7 percent.

The General Authority for Statistics said its figures were based on administrative data provided by the Ministry of Interior as the primary source, in line with a statistical framework adopted during recent Hajj seasons to ensure accuracy and reliability. The full Hajj data and detailed reports are available on the authority’s website.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

______________

The increased attendance also underscores the Kingdom’s ongoing focus on operational efficiency. (SPA)

_________________

SAUDI ARABIA

ARAB AMERICANS : Takreem America honors top Arab American achievers

Takreem America honored exceptional Arab American individuals at its annual awards night recently at The Westin Copley Place, in Boston, Massachusetts. The weekend also featured the TAKminds Forum, held at MIT, which brought together 16 distinguished speakers and moderators from various fields.

The nonprofit organization, founded in 2019 to honor Arab Americans and help them build bonds with their motherland, presented awards to outstanding individuals, including: Dr. Magid Abraham (Corporate Leadership Award); Najla Said (Cultural Excellence Award); Dr. Gary Nabhan (Environmental Development and Sustainability); Dr. Elias Zerhouni (Scientific and Technological Achievement); and Ahmed Badr (Young Entrepreneur Award).

In addition, Dr. Dimitri Azar and Professor Rima Kaddurah-Daouk were honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards while the Anthony R. Abraham Foundation was given a “Special Distinction.”

The awards night, hosted by Ghida Fakhry, was a platform to celebrate the remarkable contributions of these individuals. Ricardo Karam, founder and chair of the board, emphasized the significance of the awardees’ actions in inspiring compassion and unity, echoing the spirit of Khalil Gibran’s legacy.

At the TAKminds Forum, participants included prominent figures from the arts, such as Arab American artist Helen Zughaib, art specialist business getter Suzy Sikorski, and art adviser Yasmina Moukarzel. Influential entrepreneurs like Fadel Adib, Edouard Massih, and Sami Shalabi also shared their insights, alongside dynamic change-makers Paul Ayoub and Nicola Yammine. Additionally, AI enthusiasts including Richard Rabbat, founder and CEO of Lighty AI; Raja-Elie Abdulnour, editor at Clinical Development and AI Innovation and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School; Jean-Claude Saghbini, president at Lumeris Value-Based Care Enablement; and Nadine Chakar, managing director and global head at DTCC Digital Assets, discussed their experiences. The discussions provided enlightening perspectives on the contributions of Arab American minds within their society and beyond, exploring ways to create a lasting impact and legacy.

With more than 500 attendees, Takreem America’s annual weekend celebrations showcased the unity and positive influence of Arab Americans in the Americas.

In a statement, the organization expressed gratitude to its numerous patrons and sponsors for their invaluable support, including Triple V Management LLC, Anthony R. Abraham Foundation, Cedar’s Mediterranean Foods, Fort Partners, PARQ, and JESRA Foundation.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

___________________

The annual awards night was held at The Westin Copley Place, in Boston.

______________________

AMERICAN / ARABS

MOROCCAN Writer Zineb Mekouar Wins Belgium’s Prix Horizon for Second Novel

Unlike many literary prizes decided solely by professional juries, the Prix Horizon relies on reader participation.

 Moroccan writer Zineb Mekouar has received the Prix Horizon in Belgium for her novel “Souviens-toi des abeilles”, a work that ties environmental fragility with family memory in the landscapes of southern Morocco.

The award ceremony took place on Saturday in Marche-en-Famenne, in southern Belgium. The prize goes every two years to the most accomplished second novel written in French, with a strong focus on authors who deepen their literary voice beyond a debut work.

Mekouar’s novel, published by Gallimard, is set in the High Atlas mountains and draws a portrait of a rural world shaped by ancestral beekeeping practices. Through the eyes of a child, the story links inheritance, silence within families, and the pressures placed on fragile ecosystems.

Unlike many literary prizes decided solely by professional juries, the Prix Horizon relies on reader participation. Reading groups from Belgium and France’s Grand Est region take part in the final vote after a shortlist drawn up by literary professionals.

The Moroccan author meets readers and fellow finalists during a full day of discussions before the final vote. The format emphasizes direct exchange between authors and the public.

Created twelve years ago by the city of Marche-en-Famenne, the Prix Horizon seeks to draw attention to French-language writers who confirm their place in literature through a second novel. The selection begins with a professional jury that reviews dozens of works before readers decide the final winner.

“Souviens-toi des abeilles” has already gained recognition in France. It received the Henri de Régnier Prize from the Académie française in 2025. It also appeared in the Académie Goncourt summer selections for 2024 and entered the first shortlist for the Prix Jean Giono the same year. The novel also won the Folire Prize in 2025.

This year’s other finalists included Claire Vesin with “Le lotissement”, Marie Mangez with “Les vérités parallèles”, Ketty Rouf with “Mère absolument”, and Benjamin de Laforcade with “Berlin pour elles”.

Born in Casablanca in 1991 and based in Paris since 2009, Mekouar first drew attention with her debut novel “La poule et son cumin”, published in 2022. The book reached the final stage of the Goncourt prize for first novel.

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com (headline edited)

_______________

_________________________

FRENCH / MOROCCAN

EGYPT : Ten Egyptian Monuments the World Still Won’t Give Back

With the news of the Netherlands returning a 3,500-year-old Egyptian sculpture this week, here is a list of ten important Egyptian artefacts that are still held abroad.

Earlier last week, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof announced his government would be returning a sculpture from the reign of King Thutmose III to Egypt, where it had been illegally taken during the 2011 Revolution and sold abroad. The announcement was made in the wake of the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum and was met with praise and applause by many Egyptian observers. In recent years, there have been increasing calls by Egyptians (and by many people of formerly colonized countries) to bring home their country’s lost artefacts. However, the story of how artefacts came to leave a country is often complicated. Oftentimes they were looted, but sometimes they were given as gifts (or otherwise lawfully taken). In any case, in an effort to commemorate the Grand Egyptian Museum becoming the largest museum in the world dedicated to one civilization, here is a list of some of the Egyptian artefacts you still won’t find there.

1) The Oldest Bible in the World (British Library, London)

The Codex Sinaiticus, also known as the Sinai Bible, is the oldest complete copy of the New Testament ever found. Dating to around 350 CE during the time of Roman Egypt, it is also the youngest artefact on this list. (The timeline of the Grand Egyptian Museum, which chronicles ancient Egyptian history from prehistoric times to the Greco-Roman period, ends at 400 CE.)

The story of how this Bible left Egypt is complicated. Although the Bible was found in Saint Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai in 1844 by a German theologian, it was given to Tsar Alexander II of Russia, and then sold to the British Museum in London in 1933 by the Soviet government. Today, most of the manuscript remains in British Library (where very few scholars have been allowed to see it in full), though smaller fragments are still scattered across Germany, Russia, and St. Catherine’s Monastery.

2) Luxor Obelisk (Paris)

If you’ve ever been to the Luxor Temple on the east bank of the Nile River, you will have noticed that in the entranceway there stands only one obelisk, the other clearly missing. Carved during the reign of Ramses II of Egypt’s New Kingdom, the missing granite obelisk now sits in the center of Place de la Concorde in Paris. It was gifted to the French Empire by Muhammad Ali Pasha in 1829 as a gesture of friendship, and it remains the oldest monument in all of France.

3) The Oldest Woven Dress in the World (Petrie Museum, London)

The Tarkhan dress, a linen garment that was once likely once worn by an Egyptian worker, is a 5000 year old piece of clothing—the oldest woven garment ever found. The dress was found south of Cairo in 1913 by Flinders Petrie, a British archaeologist, who at first believed it to be little more than a rag. He decided to take the rag with him to London anyway, and it wasn’t until the clothing was carbon-dated in 2015 that the true age—and significance—of the dress was understood.

The roughly size 2 dress remains in remarkably good condition (for its age), featuring a V-neck cut and long sleeves, and armpit stains left by its original wearer. 

4) The Oldest Complete Map of the Ancient Sky (Louvre Museum, Paris)

The Dendera Zodiac is a celestial map from the time of Ptolemaic Egypt, depicting the twelve zodiac signs (a Greek invention) with Egyptian imagery and style. It was likely created during the reign of Cleopatra, around 50 BCE, and was etched into the walls of the Dendera Temple of Hathor north of Luxor. Besides its beauty, its significance lies in the fact that it is the oldest (and possibly only) known complete map of the ancient sky.

The French removed it from Egypt in 1821 (with some versions of the story claiming they used dynamite to do so), and today it can be found in the Louvre Museum in Paris. 

5) The Rosetta Stone (British Museum, London)

Many people believe that the Rosetta Stone was taken by the British from Egypt, but in reality, it was taken by the British from the French, who took it from Egypt. Discovered by French soldiers in the town of Rashid (Rosetta) in 1799, this stone is perhaps the most important archaeological discovery of all time (and it remains the most visited artefact in the British Museum). Its decryption paved the way to understanding ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics (and with it most of ancient Egyptian history), which until then had been illegible to all who tried to read it.

When Egypt formally asked for the Stone’s repatriation in 2003, the British Museum refused to return it, and instead gave Egypt a replica of the Stone. That replica now sits inside the National Museum in Rashid. 

6) The Bust of Nefertiti (Neues Museum, Berlin)

This iconic sculpture is one of the most well-known artefacts from ancient Egypt, and it depicts an equally legendary figure: Queen Nefertiti, wife of Akhenaten, stepmother of Tutankhamun. 3,400 years ago, Akhenaten’s sculptor captured Nefertiti’s beautifully slender neck, raised chin, and level gaze, and when it was discovered in 1912 the painted sculpture was still in remarkably good condition.

At the time of its finding, excavations in Egypt were conducted under a system whereby all items discovered were split between Egypt and the foreign country sponsoring the excavation, but there was a caveat: only ‘non-unique’ items could leave the country. The controversy that surrounds this bust is that the German team that discovered it hid its true value, and thus the bust was allowed to leave Egypt and be transported to Berlin, where it remains today. 

7) Colossal Figure of Ramses II (British Museum, London)

Also known as the Younger Memnon, this colossal torso and head once sat atop a statue of Ramses II located at his mortuary temple in Luxor. In 1798, Napoleon’s men tried extracting the statue but failed, and a couple of decades later the British succeeded in removing the upper portion of the statue (which had, long before, been damaged and detached from the rest of the body during an earthquake). Weighing nearly 20 tonnes, the statue is the largest Egyptian sculpture in the British Museum.

8) Bust of Ankh-haf (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)

This lesser known artefact is striking for its high level of realism. Its namesake, Ankh-haf, was a government official of the Old Kingdom who oversaw the building of the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Sphinx.

The bust was discovered in 1925 during an expedition by Harvard University, and in 1927 it was gifted by the Egyptian government to an American archaeologist. Perhaps fittingly given the sculpture’s realism, it now rests in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

9 & 10) Cleopatra’s Needles (London & New York)

Despite their name, the pair of obelisks called Cleopatra’s Needles bear no relation to Queen Cleopatra herself. Instead, they were constructed during the reign of King Thutmose III of the New Kingdom, more than a thousand years before Cleopatra’s reign. During the Roman era they were moved from their original location in Heliopolis to Alexandria, where they stood for nearly two thousand years.

By the 1800s, one of the two needles had fallen. It was this needle that Muhammed Ali Pasha, in 1819, decided to gift to Britain (as he had gifted the Luxor Obelisk to France). However, the 21-meter tall obelisk was so massive that it was not actually transported to London until the reign of Ismail Pasha in 1877. It was also Ismail Pasha who, in the same year, gifted the remaining needle to the United States.

source/content: cairoscene.com (headline edited)

______________

Originally published on November 9th, 2025.

____________

EGYPT

SAUDI ARABIA : How centuries of Hajj journeys were written into memory

For centuries, the Hajj pilgrimage has been a journey unlike any other, one in which the punishing demands of the road have been inseparable from the spiritual weight of the destination.

The pilgrim caravans of the past paint a human and devotional canvas without parallel, faithfully chronicled by travelers and historians whose books and manuscripts now rank among the most valuable historical witnesses to how this sacred rite evolved.

From sea passages to long stretches of desert and grueling overland tracks, these accounts have preserved the journey to the Kaaba in remarkable detail, bequeathing to later generations a living picture of the grandeur of the rituals and of Muslim unity across the centuries.

In earlier ages, reaching the holy land was no simple matter.

The journey could consume months — even an entire year — exposing pilgrims to the hardships of the road, the unpredictability of the elements, and the perils of both desert and sea.

Speaking to Arab News, Dr. Fawaz Al-Dahas, director of the Makkah History Center, described how rulers and sultans shaped the pilgrimage routes.

Chief among them was Caliph Harun Al-Rashid, famed for his repeated pilgrimages from Baghdad, and Sultan Al-Zahir Baybars, who established supply posts and security details to safeguard the pilgrim caravans on routes from Damascus and Cairo.

This pattern, Al-Dahas said, reveals how early Islamic states grasped the importance of organizing and protecting the sacred journey.

The historic pilgrimage routes including Darb Zubaydah from Iraq and the Egyptian Road, were, in Al-Dahas’ view, pivotal to the rise of the towns and waystations that sprang up along the trails.

They also served as arteries of commerce and culture, knitting the various corners of the Islamic world together through trade and exchange.

These journeys, he added, also lay bare the scale of the care that successive Islamic civilizations lavished on the pilgrims.

Reservoirs and wells were dug, caravanserais and rest houses built, security details deployed, and medical services made available — an early blueprint, in effect, for the organized management of large crowds.

The literature of pilgrim travel, Al-Dahas argued, amounts to a civilizational archive in its own right.

He pointed to the writings of Abd Al-Ghani Al-Nabulsi, who recorded the encounters and cultural exchanges between pilgrims, gatherings that, in concept, anticipated the international conferences of the modern era by several centuries.

The literary legacy of the Hajj also boasts a number of landmark works, among them “Fi Manzil Al-Waḥy” (In the House of Revelation), “The Road to Makkah”, and “To the Land of Prophethood,” texts that distilled the spiritual and human experience of the pilgrimage through varying literary and intellectual lenses.

For all the centuries that separate them, and despite the diversity of the tongues in which they were written, these accounts remain, in the view of researchers, a living register tracing the evolution of the Hajj.

Researcher and historian Saad Al-Joudi spoke to Arab News about how Hajj was a complete civilizational event, one that helped document Muslim life and track the shifting fortunes of societies across the ages.

Many of the pilgrim travelogues, he observed, now stand as indispensable historical sources for understanding the texture of Islamic societies in their respective eras.

Ibn Jubayr, Al-Joudi noted, left an exceptionally precise account of his journey from Andalusia to the Hijaz, recording his sea voyage to Alexandria and his onward overland trek to Makkah.

He captured the scenes of Ihram, Tawaf, Sa’i, the standing at Arafat, and the stoning of the Jamarat — a narrative that wove historical accuracy together with deep spiritual reflection.

Ibn Battuta’s writings, Al-Joudi added, opened yet another window onto the journey: the supply stations, the makeshift markets, the physicians’ tents pitched along the pilgrim roads, as well as the scenes of Islamic unity in which he found himself shoulder to shoulder with pilgrims of every ethnicity and tongue.

It is in such passages, he said, that the human and social dimensions of the pilgrimage come most fully into view.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

_____________

An engraving of the Kaaba drawn by the Austrian orientalist Andreas Magnus Hunglinger in 1803. (Khalili Collections)

__________________

SAUDI ARABIA

KUWAIT launches radio archive digitization project to preserve national media heritage

Al-Omar: Modern technology key to safeguarding historic radio archive.

Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology and Acting Minister of Information and Culture Omar Al-Omar said the project to develop the Ministry of Information’s radio archive forms part of ongoing efforts to preserve Kuwait’s national media heritage using the latest technical systems and standards.

Al-Omar made the remarks in a speech during the project’s inauguration on Wednesday, attended by Austrian Ambassador to Kuwait Ulrich Frank and Ministry of Information Undersecretary Dr Nasser Muhaysen. The project is being implemented by Awlad Abdulaziz Abdulmohsen Al-Rashed Company in cooperation with Austrian firm NOA, which specializes in multimedia archiving and digitization, with the aim of preserving and digitizing radio content using advanced technologies.

The minister stressed that safeguarding national media heritage through modern systems ensures the sustainability and accessibility of radio materials, describing them as an integral part of Kuwait’s cultural and historical memory. He added that the initiative reflects the depth of relations between Kuwait and Austria and their shared commitment to strengthening cooperation in the media, cultural and technological fields in line with developments in modern media work.

Al-Omar noted that the Ministry of Information continues to implement development plans aimed at upgrading its technical infrastructure and enhancing capabilities in production, broadcasting and digital archiving, in line with the state’s broader drive to build a modern and efficient media system. He also emphasized the importance of strategic partnerships with specialized international institutions, which he said are essential to improving institutional performance, developing national talent and enhancing the quality of media services. For his part, Ambassador Frank said the project reflects the strong level of cooperation between Kuwait and Austria in cultural and technical fields, expressing his pleasure at participating in the launch of an initiative that contributes to preserving Kuwait’s media heritage.

He noted that the Radio Kuwait archive contains thousands of recordings documenting key stages of the country’s history, including musical works, programmes and diverse audio content. He said digitization and long-term preservation efforts would help safeguard these materials and improve accessibility for future generations, while modern systems would ensure their preservation and usability. Frank added that cooperation between Kuwaiti entities and Austrian specialized companies would support the completion of the digitization process using advanced technological solutions.

Meanwhile, Director of Radio Engineering at the Ministry of Information and project team leader Issa Al-Enezi told KUNA that the project coincides with the 75th anniversary of Radio Kuwait, which has played a key role in documenting the country’s development and cultural history. He said the project is based on three main pillars: cataloguing and classifying radio content, digitizing the archive according to the highest technical standards, and building a comprehensive database to facilitate access to archived materials. He described the initiative as a transition from traditional archiving to digital sustainability, ensuring preservation for future generations.

Chairman and CEO of Al-Rashed Group Abdulaziz Al-Rashed said the group’s role extends beyond implementation to supporting strategic national initiatives that advance development and digital transformation in Kuwait. He said the partnership with the Ministry of Information and Austrian company NOA represents a model of integration between national expertise and global technology, contributing to high-quality national projects and supporting Kuwait’s digital transformation agenda. The inauguration ceremony included a video presentation outlining the project’s implementation phases and archiving processes, as well as a tour of the facilities showcasing the digital preservation systems in use. — KUNA

source/content: kuwaittimes.com (headline edited)

____________

KUWAIT: Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology and Acting Minister of Information and Culture, Omar Al-Omar and other officials are pictured during the project’s inauguration on Wednesday.- KUNA photos

__________

KUWAIT

Ancient 100-piece gold jewelry set from Abbasid era discovered in Saudi Arabia

A collection of 100 pieces of gold jewelry dating back to the Abbasid era has been discovered in Saudi Arabia’s Al-Qassim region, the Saudi Heritage Commission announced on Tuesday.

The ancient artifacts are thought to have formed a complete adornment set, and were designed to look like flowers with stone settings fixed within gold frames.

There is also a large disc-shaped piece inlaid with colored stones arranged symmetrically in a central pattern, as well as a large group of multi-colored beads and delicate gold spacers.

The items were crafted using hammering and hand-forming techniques on gold sheets, along with decorative pressing and stone inlay within the frames.

These techniques reflect the advanced craftsmanship of the period and the development of gold jewelry-making during the Abbasid era, according to the commission.

They were found at the Dariyah archaeological site as part of the fourth season of the commission’s archaeological survey and excavation project.  

Dr Jasir Suliman Alherbish, CEO of the Saudi Heritage Commission, said in a statement: “This discovery at Dariyah reflects the abundance of the Kingdom’s cultural heritage and its longstanding role as a crossroads of trade routes and cultural exchange.

“It underscores the Heritage Commission’s commitment to research, documentation and preservation, further strengthening understanding of the Kingdom’s history and safeguarding its cultural legacy.”

Excavations also revealed architectural features dating back to the Abbasid period, including the foundations of stone buildings, mud walls, fire hearths and plastered rooms, in addition to pottery vessels and metal tools.

These finds indicate human settlement dating back to the late ninth century A.D. and confirm the strategic importance of the site along pilgrimage and trade routes.

Located in the southwest of Al-Qassim Region, Dariyah is one of Saudi Arabia’s significant archaeological sites, with evidence of activity from the pre-Islamic period into the early Islamic era. 

It was historically an important stop on ancient trade and pilgrimage routes, including the Basran Hajj route from Iraq.

Its surviving remains, set among mountains and valleys, include archaeological mounds, stone building foundations, pottery and glass fragments, soapstone artifacts and Islamic inscriptions in the surrounding area, reflecting the site’s long-standing historical and cultural significance.

source/content: arabnews.com (headlines edited)

___________

The set of ancient gold jewelry dates back to the Abbasid era. (Supplied)

__________________________________________________

SAUDI ARABIA / ABBASID DYNASTY (Baghdad)

ALGERIAN-BRITISH : UK train attack hero named as British-Arab rail worker Samir Zitouni

London North Eastern Railway employee Zitouni is in a critical but stable condition after he was injured shielding passengers from the attacker

His family, colleagues, police and politicians praise his bravery, which is credited with saving many lives during mass stabbing

A British-Arab railway worker credited with saving many lives during a mass stabbing on a UK train was named on Tuesday as Samir Zitouni.

The 48-year-old, who shielded passengers from the attack, remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital, British Transport Police said.

Zitouni, a customer experience host who has worked for London North Eastern Railway for more than 20 years, was on duty on the Doncaster to London King’s Cross service on Saturday evening when the attack took place. Witnesses, colleagues, police and politicians have praised his actions as “courageous” and “heroic.”

David Horne, LNER’s managing director, said: “In a moment of crisis, Sam did not hesitate as he stepped forward to protect those around him. His actions were incredibly brave and we are so proud of him, and of all our colleagues who acted with such courage that evening.

“Our thoughts and prayers remain with Sam and his family. We will continue to support them, and wish him a full and speedy recovery.”

Zitouni’s family said they were “deeply touched by the outpouring of love and kindness” toward him.

“We are immensely proud of Sam and his courage,” they added. “The police called him a hero on Saturday evening, but to us he’s always been a hero.”

The statements on Tuesday did not provide any further details about Zitouni. Some social media posts described him as Algerian-born.

Transport police said on Sunday that CCTV footage of the attack showed an LNER employee, now identified as Zitouni, attempting to stop the attacker.

“The actions of the member of rail staff were nothing short of heroic and undoubtedly saved people’s lives,” Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Cundy said.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on Monday paid tribute to the “breathtaking bravery” of those on the train, including Zitouni.

“On Saturday, he went to work to do his job — today, he is a hero and forever will be,” she said.

Passengers told how a man wielding a knife began attacking people on the train as it passed through Cambridgeshire on Saturday evening. Ten people were taken to hospital for treatment after the train stopped at Huntingdon station and another admitted themselves later. Seven have been discharged and three remain in hospital in a stable condition, along with Zitouni.

Anthony Williams, 32, has been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder related to the train attack, and an additional count of attempted murder in connection with a separate incident in London on Saturday.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

____________

Samir Zitouni, who shielded passengers from a knife attack on a train, is in a critical condition in hospital. (LNER)

______________________________

BRITISH / ARAB /ALGERIAN

JORDAN : ‘We are in a phase as big as the printing press’: How Jordan became Arab world’s blueprint for media literacy

In interview with Arab News, Jordan Media Institute dean Dr. Ziad Rifai discusses urgent need to equip citizens with tools to navigate today’s information ecosystem

Working alongside UNESCO and the Jordanian government, JMI has spearheaded 2 successive national media literacy strategies, establishing Jordan as a regional model

Sitting comfortably in his office in Amman, Dr. Ziad Rifai does not immediately strike you as someone whose grand mission is to fight information warfare.

The dean of the Jordan Media Institute and architect of its media literacy program — one of the first and most comprehensive initiatives of its kind in the Arab region — draws on decades of experience, appearing at times measured while promising to take on a David vs. Goliath challenge.

“Everybody now that has a phone basically has a TV, a radio station, a newspaper. All the media have been consolidated into this small phone,” he told Arab News. “And with that, with the amount of abuse that we’ve witnessed — the hate speech, the echo chambers, the misinformation, the disinformation, the rumors — all that necessitated that we need to do something about it.”

Founded in 2006 by HRH Princess Rym Ali as the first institution in the region to offer an Arabic-language MA in journalism and modern media, in partnership with the University of Jordan, JMI has evolved to keep pace with a rapidly shifting industry. Over the years it has introduced new courses — including mobile journalism and data journalism — alongside its media literacy program.

“Our focus is on journalism, creating journalists who are experienced, dedicated, ethical. That’s the core of our mission,” Rifai said. “But, as you know very well, the media scene is changing rapidly. So, while keeping the basic principles, we had to branch out into the new media scene.”

Rifai, who has worked across newsrooms, the UN, Jordan TV and the Higher Media Council, has watched this transformation unfold over five decades. He recalls a Jordan with one radio station, then the arrival of a single television channel and a handful of newspapers. Invoking Wilbur Schramm — the American scholar widely regarded as the father of modern communication theory, whose four-press model was first published in 1956 — he says the world has grown far more complex since then.

“Things have gotten so mixed up,” he added. “We are in a phase that’s as big as inventing the printing press, if not more. The problem is that the forces that are pushing the change, nobody knows who they are. And I’m not so sure if anybody can control where they’re going. Not to mention if they know where they’re going.”

That chaos, he suggested, is most acutely felt in the information ecosystem, where speed routinely outpaces safeguards — and where the general public is left with few tools to navigate the difference.

“The biggest challenge we have is with the speed that things change. The problem is how to catch up and have enough time to do interventions, awareness, education and introduce legislations.”

AI has become the defining example. In April, UNESCO examined how algorithmic AI systems are transforming information dynamics and amplifying risks — from misinformation to deepfakes — ultimately threatening trust in media and democratic integrity. The report argues that media and information literacy is the critical response. Yet follow-up initiatives, Rifai said, too often become mired in bureaucracy.

“For any initiative like this to take hold in a society, you need a champion. You need someone who believes in the idea and who pushes (it) forward,” he added.

JMI has been that champion in Jordan, working with the government domestically and relying on UNESCO as an international partner to strengthen credibility.

“We are the catalyst, we’re the advocates. UNESCO has the expertise and the global knowledge, but not the local,” said Rifai. “However, without the state, nothing will take hold, especially in our region.”

The model, he argues, is replicable. JMI is already exporting its expertise to a group of countries across the region.

“If (a country) took the strategy that we have and looked at it, they might change dates, they might change budgets, they might change partners, but the basic pillars of the strategy would probably be applicable in most of our region because the phenomenon is universal.”

JMI’s work operates on two levels: national policy design and hands-on training. Following an experimentation phase around 2014, Jordan moved to official adoption in 2019, when media literacy was placed on the government’s priority list alongside pilot projects in schools and youth spaces. The first National Strategy for Media and Information Literacy (2020–2023) earned recognition from UNESCO and a number of Arab and European officials, establishing Jordan as the first Arab country with a comprehensive, formal MIL plan. In late 2025, Jordan launched a second strategy for 2026–2029, again with UNESCO and JMI as core partners.

“The second strategy has full ownership of the government and all the elements of sustainability — that’s what the first strategy did not have,” Rifai said.

The program targets all age groups and all sectors of society, adjusting only in terms of sophistication.

“It essentially targets all sectors of operation. What differs is the level of sophistication,” said Rifai, adding that a 50-year-old housewife can be as active a disseminator of misinformation as a teenager. MIL concepts are now integrated into school curricula across subjects including religion, social sciences and Arabic — but Rifai is candid about the gap between integration and application.

“In my previous career at the UN, we integrated concepts of reproductive health and family planning in two books. The challenge was that teachers didn’t teach it. It was in the book, but in the classroom, they just skipped it. Either because they didn’t believe in it, or because they thought it wasn’t important.”

Monitoring implementation, he acknowledges, is the next frontier. “If awareness is not translated to behavioral impact or behavioral change, it’s not worth the objective. At the end of the day, the campaign should change behaviors and not just create that awareness. Awareness might be the first step in that direction.”

The ambition extends beyond classrooms. This week, JMI signed a memorandum of understanding with Jordan’s Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to develop a code of ethics for journalists covering disability — an area Rifai describes as a blind spot in regional media.

“People with disabilities are absent, at least in our region, from the media scene,” he said. “Whenever you see a person with disability in media, it’s either portrayed as, ‘oh, poor guy,’ or, ‘oh, how wonderful, he got a degree in science.’ Both, from their perspective, it’s the wrong approach. Just treat them like normal human beings.”

He framed the partnership as explicitly two-directional: JMI bringing journalism expertise, the council bringing lived experience.

Rifai acknowledges the world remains full of challenges, but believes the goal is to take back enough control to exploit technology’s possibilities rather than be consumed by them.

“It’s not easy to predict where we’re going. What we know for sure is that things seem to be going out of hand, in terms of media proliferation. We’re being pushed to becoming more and more reliant on (a specific technology), and less and less having any input on controlling where it’s going.”

He sees it, ultimately, as a double-edged sword. “The chaotic scene has its pitfalls,” he said, “but at the end of the day, it is allowing everybody to say what they want. For the first time, there’s freedom of information and everybody now is telling his or her story without the control. It could go either way, and I wouldn’t put money on either side of that prediction.”

For JMI, however, the mission remains constant. “No matter what happens with the media, we should not lose sight of that importance of having a proper journalism. At the end of the day, what matters is what you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it. We will continue to hold the principles and the ethical message of proper journalism. That will continue to be our role, no matter what new technologies or wars come.”

source/content: arabnews.com (headlines edited)

____________

Dr. Ziad Rifai, dean of the Jordan Media Institute and architect of its media literacy program, spoke to Arab News about one of the first and most comprehensive initiatives of its kind in the Arab region. (Supplied)

___________

JORDAN