Arabs & Arabian Records Aggregator. Chronicler. Milestones of the 25 Countries of the Arabic Speaking World (official / co-official). AGCC. MENA. Global. Ist's to Top 10's. Records. Read & Enjoy./ www.arabianrecords.org
Syrian young artist, Lama Zakaria has recently achieved the first world record in the Guinness World Records for the largest display of mandala in the world, raising the name of Syria high and proving once again the ability of Syrian youth to excel in various scientific and artistic fields.
Lama told SANA’s reporter that she spent two years of continuous and diligent effort for reaching this stage, stressing that she worked with precision and patience to achieve the required symmetry in her painting, which achieved the record for the largest painting of mandala in the world.
She added that the mandala contains 4096 mandala circles of various diameters, colors and various decorations by using special dotting tools and acrylic paints on a 6 mm-thick wooden board.
She pointed out that the painting with dimensions 488 x 488 cm contains a large number of circles overlapping with each other and free circles with flowing lines that enhance cohesion among them.
Zakaria noted that in each quarter of the painting forms a part of a major basic circle that is the center of the painting and its eye-attracting heart, which required work carefully on all colors and various decorative units.
Lama Zakaria, a third-year student at the Faculty of Architecture at al-Baath University, has sought to specialize in mandalas, as she worked individually to learn the origins of this art and master its methods, and participated in several art exhibitions.
source/content: sana.sy (headline edited)
______________
Actress Lama Zakaria – Photo from Lama’s official Instagram page
The artist’s latest exhibition of 50 works is the culmination of a lifetime spent studying ancient script.
One day in 1984, in Basra, Iraq, an art teacher taught his students calligraphy. He drew four letters on the blackboard in Ruqʿah script, a plain style often used for signage.
As the teacher drew the letters alif, bah, jim, dal, Wissam Shawkat, then aged 10, watched absolutely entranced.
“Seeing that Arabic letters can take that form was fascinating for me,” Shawkat tells The National at the Mestaria Gallery in Alserkal Avenue — where his latest calligraphy exhibition, Letters of Love II, is running until November 30. “I was really intrigued by this.”
Today, Shawkat is an international leading authority on calligraphy, a self-taught master who pioneered his own technique known as “calligraforms.”
On the eve of his solo exhibition, Shawkat is surrounded by 50 original artworks all centred on the theme of love. He stands in the middle, surrounded by a landscape of letters, composed and morphed by a myriad styles that push the boundaries of traditional calligraphy practices. The result is a delicate balance of ancient forms and modern sensibilities.
“Letters by themselves are like an abstract shape,” he says.
“If you take any letter in Arabic or in English, any part of that letter, you will end up with an abstraction. We give it sound or when it’s merged with another letter, we give it meaning. But in reality, it’s a form, a beautiful form.”
As a teenager, due to the sanctions imposed on Iraq following the Gulf War, Shawkat’s resources were limited. Despite this stark reality, the artist took what summer courses were available, worked in sign-making shops and practised with different mediums and brushes. He drew comics, decorated skateboards, created sketches for friends, and took any chance available to practice mark-making and the art of calligraphy.
“If you spend years writing and perfecting this form, it’s definitely something you’ll fall in love with,” Shawkat says.
“After all these years, I arrived at this point where I love the abstract form of the letters and I think that’s why I’m still making it.”
Letters of Love II was launched on November 11, a significant date for Shawkat. Not only did he leave Iraq on the same date in 2002, but 11 years ago, his solo exhibition, Letters of Love, took place in New York to major critical success.
Shawkat’s new exhibition is an extension of the technical ideas he first experimented with in the New York show, an homage to his personal milestones and, of course, a celebration of love.
“For me, love is a universal concept,” Shawkat says.
“Plus, I wanted to take calligraphy away from always being associated with religion. Historians from the West call it Islamic calligraphy, but it’s not true. The art of calligraphy is about the language, it’s not the religion.”
Shawkat took the Arabic word for love, “hub”, and some of its variations such as “mahaba”, meaning to have love for something, “‘ishq”, to long for something, and “gharam”, meaning desire, and reconstructed them — experimenting with the inner and outer forms of the letters and the composition of the words; blocking parts of their shape, opening up others; extending and bending; changing their silhouettes.
The range of forms and shapes he created within each frame are meticulously composed. They exist in relation to the frames and the spaces they occupy, possessing a uniquely stylised sense of harmony fuelled by Shawkat’s departure from the traditional “rules” of calligraphy.
Even the notion of freedom is expressed uniquely within the works. Free of the cliche of words bursting out of their frame or paint spilling out on to the physical space, freedom is organic and planned in Shawkat’s work. It teases and pushes the idea of Arabic letter forms and calligraphy into new spaces.
“I want to show something aesthetically beautiful,” Shawkat says. “When I’m sketching or putting together the work, everything I do is first in black and white. Colour comes as a second thing, I work with it later.”
It’s this focus on form and composition that gives the varied works an overall sense of grounded weight, rooted and connected to each other through a slow gravitational force, as opposed to an intertwined sense of drama.
Shawkat achieves this thorough planning, like an architect of words, an engineer of letters.
“When I started planning for this show, I went back and opened my old files from the New York show,” Shawkat says.
“I found some ideas that were interesting but weren’t refined yet. I took some of them and made them work, and now they are pieces in this show. It’s always a process, it’s progress. Sometimes it fails and sometimes it works.”
Shawkat’s work reveals not only an artist who has a significant understanding of the forms and symbolism of letters and language, but one with technical knowledge and prowess.
All the paper in the show is handmade, the ink made from personalised pigment colours. Each piece is a juxtaposition of these traditional materials with Shawkat’s forward-thinking experimentation in calligraphy.
It’s also these part-conscious, part-instinctive decisions that make Shawkat’s work timeless and appealing to an international audience, many of whom don’t speak or can’t read Arabic.
“I think people who don’t know Arabic fall in love with calligraphy for the same reason I first did in class,” Shawkat says.
“It’s because they enjoy the form. They look at them as beautiful abstract shapes. As simple as that.”
Letters of Love II will be on show at the Mestaria Gallery in Alserkal Avenue
Wissam Shawkat’s solo exhibition Letters of Love II is on show at Mestaria Gallery in Alserkal Avenue until November 30. All Photos: Antonie Robertson/The National
The celebrated pharmaceutical chemist, nano engineer and inventor reveals why she has spent a career focusing her mind over matter.
When the Berlin Wall came down, Adah Almutairi watched the event unfold on a television screen 5,000 kilometres away in the family living room in Jeddah.
Too young at the time to fully understand the implications, 12-year-old Adah could nonetheless tell that the moment was significant, by the reaction of her parents.
Years later, at a conference to mark the 25th anniversary of the reunification of Germany, Ms Almutairi was on a stage in Berlin talking about her ground-breaking achievements in knocking down walls in science.
Back then, public speaking made her nervous. The knowledge that Chancellor Angela Merkel, a fellow chemist revered by Ms Almutairi, was among the 700 top international scientists and guests taking part merely compounded the feeling.
She broke the ice with a quote from the 1967 romantic comedy drama The Graduate, which earned her a laugh from the audience: “I just have one word to say,” she told them. “Just one word. Are you listening? Are you listening? Plastics.”
Ms Almutairi went on to describe herself as a plastics chemist, but she is much more besides. Her wide-ranging work combining materials chemistry with nanotechnology as well as developing tools for the future of biology and medicine makes her in great demand at conferences in the US, Europe, the Middle East and China.
The Saudi-American pharmaceutical chemist and nanomedicine engineer has won all manner of honours and recognition, including the prestigious and lucrative National Institutes of Health director’s new innovator award.
At the Falling Walls event, she gave an engaging, if sometimes faltering, presentation of her life-changing nanoparticle discovery feted in the US Congress as one of the four most important US technology breakthroughs of 2012.
“I used to be a nervous wreck before I gave a talk and would practise for two weeks beforehand,” she tells The National. “Plus, Angela Merkel is such an amazing woman, so meeting her was really special.
“She got elected just as I got my degree in chemistry and the way she spoke at that conference, and later welcomed so many Syrians into Germany, made me really respect her views on being kind citizens.”
With practice, Ms Almutairi, now 45, is much more comfortable as a public speaker. “Preparation,” she says, “is key.”
It was a lesson she learnt as a schoolgirl after a fluffed first gymnastics performance before a crowd left her sobbing on a bench. Determined never to repeat the same mistake, she rose to become the top gymnast on the team as well as the fastest 1,500-metre runner.
Preparedness forms the backbone of her professional life as she puts known scientific truths into practice while always remaining open to unexpected outcomes.
Discoveries and their effects, she and Ms Merkel wholeheartedly agree, can often surprise the scientists and engineers themselves.
“If you decide there is going to be a challenge down the road and that is going to deter you, nothing will happen,” she says. “If you go down that road anyway, you’ll solve the problem when you get there.”
No amount of planning, though, could have readied her for a year when the rug was pulled out from beneath her feet. In 2015, her beloved father died at the age of 65 and her 20-year marriage to a banker she met at university fell apart.
It was, she says, a painful time – not least because Mutlaq bin Abdul Rahman Almutairi, born into a traditional Saudi family, was his daughter’s greatest ambassador, enabling her to break free from what could have all too easily been a restrictive mould.
He was just five years old and still mourning his mother’s death when his own father packed up their goat-hair tent, strapped their few possessions to the back of a camel and made the arduous 100km journey from the Bedouin desert enclave of Al Harra to seek work and a new life in Jeddah.
Desperately poor, the family squatted on land and, when old enough, the enterprising Mutlaq enrolled himself and his younger sister in school.
His conservative father, who could not read or write, was furious and sent his daughter home. Mutlaq stood his ground and continued with his education – a moment that shaped the course of his own future and subsequently that of his five children.
“Sometimes in life, one decision changes everything,” Ms Almutairi says.
Mutlaq’s offspring have flourished in their respective fields of science and medicine. Khalid, 46, a plastic surgeon, Heba, 38, a professor in radiology, and Ahmed, 37, a dentist, still live in Saudi Arabia while Amer, 41, a professor in family medicine, is based in Houston.
Ms Almutairi was named recently on the Forbes list of the world’s Top 10 Influential Female Engineers, and often thinks of the debt owed to a father who championed her right to education.
The stance made him something of an anomaly among the Almutair tribe, whose roots can be traced back to the Quran.
“It still makes me emotional,” she says. “He was enlightened from God.
“No one around him was educated. He was the first in his entire family to learn how to read and write and go to college.
“My father and grandfather got into a lot of fights because my grandfather did not believe women should be educated.”
While she inherited drive and motivation from her father, a love of learning was instilled at a young age by her mother Najat, who, aptly enough, was a teacher.
“My family on my mother’s side were extremely well educated and my mother is very well read,” she says.
Indeed, her parents met because Mutlaq had become besotted with Ms Almutairi’s great-aunt Hilal, an intellectual who was one of the first dentists in Saudi Arabia.
Despite the 20-year age gap, he approached the family to ask for her hand in marriage but was advised instead to wed the daughter of Hilal’s brother, with whom he would build a strong bond.
“My father appreciated a smart woman,” Ms Almutairi says. “He didn’t go after the young, pretty girl. He initially went for the older woman he enjoyed talking to.
“Now when I think back, I realise how special and unique he was, and how much respect he had for women.”
Mutlaq studied criminology and justice administration in Portland, Oregon, where Adah Almutairi was born, before returning to his homeland to become a police investigator.
The young Adah attended international schools in Jeddah and Riyadh, excelling not only at sport but in maths and science.
On leaving school at 16, she was at a loss as to what to do next. Her mother was applying for teaching posts so, on a whim, Ms Almutairi submitted an application to Najd National School in Riyadh – and surprised everyone, including herself, by landing a job teaching English.
“I didn’t have a degree, and when the headmistress realized how young I was, she said: ‘Don’t tell anyone, just put some lipstick on.’
“It was the best job ever. I loved every minute of it. I had such a connection with the girls. I used to take in copies of my mother’s Reader’s Digests and make up writing exercises around them.”
A year later, she began applying to universities. King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah turned her down but she secured a sports scholarship to Occidental College in Los Angeles, Barack Obama’s alma mater.
The opportunity once again put her father at loggerheads with her grandfather and members of the Almutairi clan, who did not think a young woman should travel overseas alone. Unperturbed, Mutlaq sent her anyway, even though he and Najat had doubts about her choice of subject.
The couple wanted her to be a doctor but Ms Almutairi chose maths as her major before switching to chemistry in her second year.
The lightbulb moment came when her tutor, the widely loved chemistry professor Tetsuo Otsuki, told her she was “a diamond in the dirt”.
“He made me feel smart and capable, and worth being taught,” she says.
“I have twice been told the phrase: ‘You remind me of myself’. It is one of the nicest things you can say to a young person if they look up to you. It really sat in my heart.”
Chemistry appealed because it was based on “concepts where once I wrapped my head around them, I could use them in so many ways”.
A scholarship to continue her studies at the University of California, Riverside, led her to create lightweight plastic polymers, or molecules, capable of conducting electrons that had uses in everything from robotics to space research.
“Around that time,” she says, “Hideki Shirakawa was winning the Nobel chemistry prize for his work with conductive polymers, and both Nasa and Walt Disney were funding and supporting that work.”
She may not have become a doctor of medicine as her parents had wished, but Ms Almutairi did turn her attention to the field during postdoctoral studies at the University of California, Berkeley, where she worked with Jean Frechet, a chemist innovating in the area of in-vivo imaging to diagnose disease.
After being turned down for jobs in Saudi Arabia, she took up a post at the University of California, San Diego, going on to lead an interdisciplinary research group at the Centre for Excellence in Nanomedicine and Engineering.
Perhaps one of Ms Almutairi’s proudest moments was collaborating with an ophthalmologist for a decade to come up with a way to regenerate failing retinas and prevent blindness.
“That particular innovation is now commercialised and makes me feel really good about myself,” she says. “I enjoy all sorts of application materials but medicine is especially rewarding. I like to solve problems and have a positive impact on the world.”
Her work with lanthanides – popularly classed as rare earth elements but actually, she says, abundant – involves a chemical reaction that could be applied to the delivery of drugs and diagnostics in medicine but also solar energy harvesting.
She has more than 100 patents registered, including one with her brother Khalid to use gold molecules in liposuction.
“My work is very rewarding,” Ms Almutairi says, “and my father was very proud of me. When I became well known in the US, it was a big moment because the people who were criticising him for sending his daughter away were the same people congratulating him.”
A strong proponent of the “health is wealth” philosophy, she may no longer run, but she does lift weights regularly and spends time in the garden with her 10-year-old son cultivating avocados, figs, and citrus trees, and growing aubergines, tomatoes and cucumbers.
She has visited Saudi Arabia many times to see her family and speak at conferences. One in particular that has stayed with her was a graduation speech at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh.
There was no film quote for these graduates of the largest women’s university in the world. In a clear voice, without a hint of nerves, she instead passed on the words of that staunch defender of her own access to education.
Remain forever curious about the world, she told the audience, and live a meaningful life with impact.
It was clear that the woman of substance standing before them had been shaped by her father’s advice. She didn’t need to ask if they were listening.
The Saudi Arabian-American pharmaceutical chemist and nanomedicine engineer is in great demand at conferences in the US, Europe, the Middle East and China. Photo: Adah Almutairi
One doesn’t have to be a Muslim to visit the mosque or see the tallest minaret in the world.
Many people who think of a vacation to Africa make plans with Morocco in mind, South Africa at times, maybe Kenya, and definitely Egypt—to see the famous pyramids—or the 4,100-mile-long river that gave birth to that momentous civilization. Yet, as a continent, Africa has 54 countries, almost as many as the number of states in the U.S. Though it may come as a surprise, almost all of these countries are safe and have nearly the same conveniences as those found in many First World countries. Take Algeria, for instance, the biggest country in Africa and more than three times the size of Texas. This northern African country has pyramids, just like Egypt, and several fascinating ruins that would interest any history buff or anyone who’s out for some real adventure.
The Great Mosque Of Algiers And Its Record-Breaking Minaret
Also known as Djamaa el Djazaïr, the Great Mosque of Algiers is itself a monumental structure and an architectural marvel in its own right. However, what really puts it in the Guinness Book of World Records is its minaret. The reason is that the Great Mosque of Algiers is noted for having the tallest minaret in the world. For those who may be scratching their heads, a minaret is a tower—or a tower-like structure—built into mosques primarily to project the “Adhan,” the Muslim call to prayer. Of course, today, minarets serve other purposes as well. For instance, they are important landmarks of Islamic presence. Coming to the minaret of the Great Mosque of Algiers, we would not be remiss to expect a structure described as the world’s tallest to answer to that exceptional description. Well, the minaret of the Great Mosque of Algiers is 265 meters tall and hence, by all accounts, impressive.
For perspective, that’s the same height as Truist Plaza, the 60-story skyscraper in downtown Atlanta or the Panorama Tower in Miami, Florida. It’s also about half the height of the One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the United States. Minarets, however, have never been this tall. Before the Great Mosque of Algiers secured a page in the Guinness Book of World Records for its minaret, the tallest minaret was the 670-feet tower of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco. The Algiers minaret, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is now not just the tallest minaret in the world but the tallest building in Africa as well. This minaret is designed to withstand a magnitude nine earthquake, the highest earthquake magnitude. This type of earthquake can cause major damage over a region more than 1,000 km across.
Here’s A Brief History Of The Great Mosque Of Algiers And Its Minaret
The government of Algeria launched the construction of the Great Mosque and its record-breaking minaret in 2012. However, according to an adviser to the minister of housing responsible for the construction, the idea of constructing a mega-mosque had been in the cards from way back in 1962 when Algeria got its independence after 132 years of French occupation and after a 7-year brutal war that would send seismic revolutionary waves across the continent. For some reason, the efforts to put up a mega-mosque in Algiers had failed and foundered. However, with the election of Abdelaziz Bouteflika as President of Algeria in 1999, the building efforts would soon receive significant impetus.
Famous for his religious zeal and devotion to Muslim art and culture, Bouteflika would, unsurprisingly, actualize the mega-mosque dream even though his tenure as president would dramatically come to a premature end before the completion of his pet project. The mosque, however, including its record-breaking minaret, was an outstanding architectural masterpiece. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Great Mosque of Algiers sits on an expansive area of around 400,000 square meters (about 50 acres). For perspective, the building itself, plus the outside courtyard, can seat up to 120,000 worshipers.
Other Reasons Why The Great Mosque of Algiers Is Worth Visiting (& How To Visit)
The mosque looks towards the scenic Bay of Algiers, which features dazzling white buildings and panoramic views as far as the eye can see. Part of the mosque is a library that can stock more than a million volumes. In addition, the mosque has a Koranic school and a museum of Islamic art and history.
Where Is The Great Mosque of Algiers Located? This mosque is located on the Rue de la Marine in Algeria’s capital city, Algiers.
A crucial travel tip is to get in as a worshiper, probably during worship. Some visitors even carry a prayer mat or wear a scarf, especially women. Of course, one doesn’t have to be a Muslim to visit the mosque or see the tallest minaret in the world.
The American Music Awards played host to a glittering showcase of Arab fashion this week as the likes of Carrie Underwood, Kelly Rowland, Becky G and Lauren Jauregui showed off gowns from Middle Eastern designers.
Country singer Underwood opted for a multi-hued dress by Lebanese Italian designer Tony Ward. With a plunging scooped neckline and playful fringed beading, the gown hailed from the designer’s Spring/Summer 2023 collection.
US singer and actress Rowland took things in a wilder direction with a leopard print sculptural gown by Lebanon’s Nicolas Jebran. The Rowland added black latex gloves for a dose of drama.
Meanwhile, US singer Becky G showed off an asymmetrical mini dress by Bahraini label Monsoori with a larger-than-life train and voluminous material draped on one shoulder.
For her part, US singer Lauren Jauregui, a member of Fifth Harmony, flaunted a floor-length number by designer Norma Kamali, who is partly of Lebanese descent. The heavily embroidered gown hailed from the designers Resort 2023 collection and featured tulip sleeves and a flared skirt.
Superstar singer and songwriter Taylor Swift won all six trophies she was contending for at Sunday night’s awards ceremony, including the artist of the year prize.
The new American Music Awards accolades lifted Swift’s lifetime total to 40, breaking her own record for most wins at the world’s largest fan-voted awards ceremony, Reuters reported.
The “Anti-Hero” singer said fan support in recent years had encouraged her to write more music, which made her happier.
“I have the fans to thank essentially for my happiness,” Swift said to a cheering crowd at the ceremony in Los Angeles.
Other honors for Swift on Sunday included favorite pop album, country album and video for her re-recording of 2012 record “Red.” The singer has been remaking albums from her past because of a dispute with her former record label.
For artist of the year, Swift triumphed over formidable names including Beyonce, Harry Styles, The Weeknd, Drake, Adele and Bad Bunny, who had gone into the night with a leading eight nominations.
Pop singer Pink opened the AMAs show dancing and singing on roller skates to her upbeat song “Never Gonna Not Dance Again.” Later in the ceremony, she performed “Hopelessly Devoted to You” in a tribute to Olivia Newton-John, the “Grease” singer who died in August.
Musician Lionel Richie, known for “All Night Long” and other 1980s hits, was celebrated with the AMA’s icon award. Stevie Wonder and Charlie Puth performed a medley of Richie songs on dueling pianos.
It has been another big week for Arab designers, with a number of celebrities opting for Middle Eastern looks for the 2022 Governors Awards in Los Angeles.
Actress Jessica Chastain showed off a red hot Zuhair Murad look, while Elizabeth banks chose a sleek gown by Elie Saab.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
_____________
Kelly Rowland wore a leopard print sculptural gown by Lebanon’s Nicolas Jebran. (AFP)
Tunisia’s prestigious industry event enjoys another successful year, helping spread a love of culture across the country.
Another week of movie magic, street art and music has come to an end following the 33rd edition of the International Carthage Film Festival in Tunisia.
Titled “Hel Thneya”, which means “Open the Path” in Tunisian dialect, the festival once again cemented its status as a major cultural attraction for visitors of all ages, who flocked to cinemas and filled the streets en masse.
The festival, one of the eldest and most prestigious in the Mena region, ended on Sunday.
As is tradition, the capital Tuniswas transformed into an open celebration of not only cinema but all forms of arts, with independent young painters getting the chance to show their artworks to the public for the first time and musicians performing every evening to audiences in the middle of Avenue Habib Bourguiba. For many, it was an opportunity to watch films that they don’t usually have the means or the opportunity to see.
Speaking outside the Theatre de Region Cinema, Downtown Tunis, Amina told The National she had been waiting for the festival to introduce her two children to the world of the cinema.
“As a family, we always discuss films together but we never find the time nor age-appropriate films to watch. This is a great opportunity to let them discover the big screen,” Amina said.
Amina’s daughter Ritej, who is in the sixth grade, was grinning with happiness as she prepared to enter the cinema hall. “I’m excited, I’m sure I’m going to enjoy this and tell my friends about it,” Ritej said.
Amina said that she often encourages her children to value the arts, with Ritej currently rehearsing for a school play, and she wishes there were more events like it in Tunisia.
This year’s International festival was an opportunity to revive the city. According to organisers, the festival aimed to showcase both new cinema productions and also timeless films that the younger generations needed to be introduced to.
This year, 72 countries participated with Saudi Arabia being the guest of honour and special emphasis placed on Palestinian and Spanish Cinema — a choice that organisers said highlighted the intersection between north and south, placing migration under an artistic lens.
The festival also paid tribute to Arab filmmakers, both living and dead, namely the Moroccan director Mohamed Abderrahmen Tazi and Egyptian director Daoud Abdel Sayed, as well as the late Algerian director Yamina Chouikh and late Tunisian director Kalthoum Bornaz.
“Through this 33rd edition, we continued to foster cultural decentralisation by bringing new sections to the festival and programming screenings in different parts of the country,” journalist and cinema critic Yosra Chikhaoui told The National.
“This year marks the first edition of JCC for kids. We are bringing more screenings as part of our “street cinema” section as well as continuing the special screenings for prisoners and members of the Tunisian army inside military bases,” Chikhaoui, who is a member of the festival’s media committee, added.
JCC in Prisons, now in its eighth year,is the fruit of a partnership between the Tunisian Ministries of Culture and Justice and the International Organisation Against Torture. This year, 12 films were showcased in three prison facilities, while juvenile detainees were transferred to Tunis for a special showcase in a cinema.
According to Ridha Behi, general director of this year’s festival, film screenings in prisons serve as a reminder of the right all people have to access and experience culture.
Awards, meanwhile, highlighted the multitude and variety on show, with a focus on filmmakers whose work depicts the struggles of their respective societies.
The Tanit d’Or award for best feature film was given to Tug of War, directed by Amil Shivji — marking the first time a film from Tanzania has won the award. Meanwhile, the Tanit d’Argent and Tanit de Bronze were respectively awarded to the films Under the Fig Trees by Erige Sehiri from Tunisia and Sharaf by Samir Nasr from Egypt
Shaikha Al-Bahar, Deputy Group CEO at National Bank of Kuwait, received “Distinguished Services to Arab Banking Award 2022” from the Arab Bankers Association (ABA) in recognition and appreciation of her dedicated efforts and outstanding contributions to the growth of the Arab banking industry.
Lord William Russell, the former mayor of the City of London, presented the award to Al-Bahar, during the Arab Bankers Association’s annual event, which was held in London, England and was attended by top executives and key leaders across the financial services industry.
In her acceptance speech, Al-Bahar said NBK has adopted a cooperate culture of leadership, that doesn’t only drive excellence, but rather actively demonstrates that excellence. Drawing from this unique culture, NBK’s leaders inspire their team members to forge a carrier in the banking industry by providing them with the right tools to create efficiencies and deliver the best results.
“I am very proud of what I have achieved throughout my career with NBK. It gives me more pride that my professional career was closely aligned with my personal believes and goals, which helped me achieve a lot of my personal aspirations, especially the ones that relate to giving back to the community through responsible banking practices”. Al-Bahar said.
“I am also honored to be a member of the leadership team that has guided NBK to its prominent position as one of the region’s leading financial institutions.” Al-Bahar added.
Al-Bahar highlighted that behind her personal accomplishment, there was dedication and willingness to differentiate herself through hard work, thinking outside the box, and getting out of her comfort zones.
Al-Bahar described her professional journey as one filled with devotion, evolution, and inspiration, from its starting point as a trainee in one of NBK’s branches, all the way until she took the helm as DGCEO. Throughout this unique journey, she managed to leave a positive footprint and played a key role in shaping the Group’s strategic vision, a direction that successfully positioned NBK as the most Valuable Banking Brand in Kuwait and among the top five banking brands in the region.
Al-Bahar emphasized that NBK adopts an open culture of customer-centricity, innovation, digital mindset, and data-driven decision-making to well position NBK as a digital leader and trendsetter in Kuwait and the region, building next generation digital banking experience.
NBK Group Deputy CEO also stated that the long-term interests of all NBK stakeholders are inseparable, as the Bank continues to create added value to all its customers, employees, and communities.
“A real leader knows how to drive change. Therefore, I am committed to advocating for greater boardroom diversity and continue developing and supporting various women empowerment initiatives, the latest of which was launching “NBK RISE”, a first-of-its-kind Global Women Leadership Initiative designed by women for women”. Al-Bahar noted.
Al-Bahar emphasized the importance of gender balance in boardrooms, as nowadays it has come to the forefront. Therefore, NBK took the initiative and started from within, ensuring that women break boardroom barriers and that they have adequate representation on all our boards and committees.
“In today’s fast-changing global environment, we continue to inspire our teams to be future leaders and provide them with the tools to transform organizations, enhance value creation, create efficiencies, and deliver better results.” Al-Bahar said.
Al-Bahar believes that continuous learning is key to success, and that people learn the most when thrown in the deep end.
Acknowledgment and Appreciation
In conclusion of her speech, Al-Bahar acknowledged the collaborative dedication of NBK employees, highlighting their efforts as they continue to elevate NBK’s leadership position to new heights.
“This award reflects our vision to continue building on our excellence and further strengthens our resolve to maintain the course of our inclusive, resilient, and sustainable approach. At NBK, we have always been focused on developing effective leaders within and throughout our organization, and thereby improve the overall quality of our operations.” Al-Bahar concluded.
A Role Model for Ambition
Former Mayor of the City of London, Lord William Russell, said that Al-Bahar is a role model for the ambitious women across the Middle East and on the international front, adding that as a leading banker in the GCC, she offers a strategic viewpoint and distinct voice that is recognized and valued by politicians and leaders.
A Prominent Role
Meanwhile, Mr. George Kanaan, CEO of the Arab Bankers Association, stressed that Al-Bahar was instrumental in the growth of banking services throughout the Middle East, as well as in assisting enterprises and organizations to obtain the financial products and services they required to achieve their goals.
The Arab Bankers’ Association (ABA) was founded in 1980 and is a London-based not-for-profit professional organization whose members work in banks and related industries in the Arab world and in the United Kingdom. ABA is dedicated to strengthening the connection and interdependence among members of the financial sector in Arab nations and the United Kingdom through constant contact and information exchange, as well as a diverse range of activities and events.
Al-Bahar receives the award from Abdulaziz Al-Khuraiji, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Arab Bankers Association in London, and George Kanaan, CEO of the Arab Bankers Association.
Over 1,200 years old, and after facing extreme neglect for decades, the Basatin Jewish Cemetery finally reopens.
The Basatin Jewish Cemetery – the second oldest Jewish cemetery in the world, and one of Cairo’s few remaining Jewish cemeteries – has undergone extensive renovations and opened its doors once more.
With a foundation dating to the 9th century during Egypt’s Tulunid Dynasty, the 147 acres of land designated for the cemetery at the time included separate areas for Rabbanite and Karaite Jews and extended beyond the Tulunid capital of Egypt.
In more recent times, allegedly during the reign of Mamluk Sultan Qaitbay in 1482, the cemetery was divided into separate pieces of property totaling roughly 27 acres. These plots include the Basatin graveyard’s common burial grounds, the private Mosseri family cemetery, Rav Haim Capusi’s grave, the private Moise Cattaui Pasha cemetery, and the remaining Karaite section of the original cemetery.
Over the past three years, the American Research Centre in Egypt and the United States’ Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation and Drop of Milk Foundation have been working to restore the neglected cultural and religious heritage site.
After the completion of the conservation project, members of the Karaite Jewish community – known for exclusively respecting the principles of the Torah and disowning oral traditions like the Talmud and other writings of the Rabbis – from various nations attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and were able to revisit their families’ graves for the first time in decades.
Saudi Arabia was first vice-chair of the executive council for 2022.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism has announced the election of the Kingdom as chair of the executive council of the United Nations World Tourism Organization for 2023.
The announcement was made at the 117th session of the organisation’s executive council being held in Marrakesh, making the Kingdom the first Gulf country to hold the post.
“The Kingdom is honored to be elected as chair of the World Tourism Organization’s executive council and we believe in the importance of the organization’s pioneering role. We look forward to cooperating with all countries to support and develop the global tourism sector,” the Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb said.
He added that the Kingdom has been an active member of the organization by launching initiatives, supporting new ideas, and opening the organization’s first regional office in Saudi Arabia to promote its agenda and work in the Middle East and beyond.
“At the heart of the UNWTO is a desire to promote tourism as a catalyst of economic development, which Saudi Arabia wholeheartedly supports. We have committed $800 billion of government investment into the Saudi tourism industry by 2030.
“Our imperative is that the development we seek, both as a nation and globally, is sustainable, inclusive and resilient. That’s how we will address the fast-changing needs of businesses, communities and the planet,” Al-Khateeb said.
As chair, Saudi Arabia will set the agenda for all meetings, ensuring that it captures the most pressing issues and concerns for the tourism industry. It will facilitate and moderate meetings effectively, chair dialogue and encourage actionable outcomes.
With a strong determination to help women’s inclusion in the mining industry, Bensetti has a strong belief in women’s ability to defy norms and pursue a career in any industry.
Women in Mining UK, an NGO dedicated to supporting women in the mining sector, selected CEO of OCP subsidiary DOOC Ibtissam Bensetti to feature in the 2022 “100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining” (WIM100) in recognition of her contributions to the global mining industry.
With this nomination, Bensetti became the first OCP personnel and Moroccan national to feature in the 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining.
The NGO’s global top 100 list celebrates women’s contribution to the mining industry at all levels. The biennial publication stresses women’s skills and expertise in the global mining industry and celebrates role models for future generations.
Women inclusion in mining
The organization selects nominees based on different criteria, including creative innovation and sustainable working.
“A WIM100 woman offers proactive advocacy to those working in the mining industry and beyond. She empowers her colleagues to ensure everyone feels heard, welcomed, and respected,” the NGO said.
Bensetti has been able to take her place in the WIM100 for her leadership in OCP as a CEO at the group’s subsidiary DOOC, which specializes in industrial operations consulting, safety, and sustainability.
Having joined OCP in 2012, Bensetti has more than a decade of experience in the mining industry at different levels, particularly in sustainability roles in mining and chemical industrial operations, as well as corporate development.
Carrying the spirit of women’s empowerment during her journey, Bensetti has been working on spreading that spirit among her team members, particularly women, through supporting OCP’s female talent as well as increasing the number of women in management.
Delighted to be part of the WIM100 list, Bensetti stressed her emphasis and belief in women’s talents.
“In my mind, there is no impenetrable fortress for women, women can defy the norms and pursue a career in any industry,” she said, conveying her encouragement and endorsement for the inclusion of women in the mining industry.
The CEO acknowledged that the industry might have been a male-dominated industry but claimed that that’s in the past thanks to global efforts seeking to ensure gender equality at different levels. Women make up between 8% and 17 % of the global mining workforce, a McKinsey report has found.
The report also identified, however, several reasons and challenges that prompt women’s exit from the industry.
“The top reasons for leaving the industry are feeling that work is no longer intellectually challenging and having the perception that there are fewer advancement opportunities than there are for their male colleagues,” the report stressed.
Appointment and education
Bensetti was appointed as CEO of DOOC in June 2021 to replace Hamid El Mahfoudi, who retired.
She joined OCP a decade ago, filling positions related to strategy, corporate development, and industrial operations.
Graduating from Telecom Paris in 2004, Bensetti amassed 18 years of experience in management consulting, industry managing, coaching, and leading teams in transformation journeys.
Bensetti is also a graduate of The World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s LEAP Program, a one-year sustainability training program that seeks to empower women and help advance their positions and careers.
Having gender equality as a center of focus during her career, Bensetti is determined to continue her battle to help empower women in the mining industry.
“Being a woman engineer in industry, I have been fighting this battle all my life,” she wrote on her LinkedIn bio.
