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
Achievement reflects ‘our growing role in shaping the future of global medicine,’ CEO Dr. Majid Al-Fayyad says
Procedure involved removing a 4.5-centimeter brain tumor with robotic arms from a 68-year-old man who had been experiencing severe headaches
In a historic leap for robotic medicine, the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh has performed the world’s first robotic intracranial tumor resection.
This groundbreaking achievement sets a new global standard in neurosurgical precision and recovery.
The procedure involved removing a 4.5-centimeter brain tumor with robotic arms from a 68-year-old man who had been experiencing severe headaches and loss of concentration.
Remarkably, the patient was discharged fully conscious within 24 hours — a recovery time nearly four times faster than that of traditional brain surgeries.
Dr. Homoud Al-Dahash, KFSHRC consultant for skull base tumors and lead surgeon, stated that the robotic system provided exceptional precision and control, which enabled surgeons to navigate critical neurovascular structures with a high level of safety.
“The patient’s same-day discharge, fully conscious and without complications, represents a new benchmark for neurosurgical innovation,” he added.
Guided by a 3D optical system, the one-hour surgery enabled surgeons to operate with a clear, magnified view of the brain.
Advanced image-guided navigation technology ensured precise tumor removal while protecting vital areas of the brain.
KFSHRC CEO Dr. Majid Al-Fayyadh linked the milestone to the hospital’s ongoing transformation journey.
“This achievement reflects KFSHRC’s growing role in shaping the future of global medicine,” he said.
“It aligns perfectly with our vision, where innovation and patient-centered care define the future of healthcare.”
Before the advent of robotic neurosurgery, similar procedures required manual removal under a surgical microscope, where precision depended heavily on human steadiness and visual clarity.
Robotic systems now provide enhanced instrument stability, tremor elimination, and superior visualization — redefining global standards of safety and precision in neurosurgical care.
This landmark procedure adds to KFSHRC’s expanding portfolio of robotic surgical breakthroughs.
The institution previously performed the world’s first robotic heart transplant and robotic liver transplant, earning international acclaim and solidifying its standing among the world’s leading centers for robotic and minimally invasive surgery.
KFSHRC has been ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa and 15th globally among the world’s top 250 academic medical centers for 2025.
It was also recognized as the most valuable healthcare brand in the Middle East by Brand Finance 2024 and listed among Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals 2025, Best Smart Hospitals 2025, and Best Specialized Hospitals 2026.
These accolades reaffirm its position as a global leader in innovation-driven patient care.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh has performed the world’s first robotic intracranial tumor resection. (SPA
Amid the global race to find effective COVID-19 treatments, an Egyptian research team has achieved a breakthrough that could reshape how middle- and low-income countries combat the virus.
The study, titled EVERST, was published on 20 October in Scientific Reports, a leading international journal under the Nature group.
According to the study, Egyptian scientists reported promising results in treating moderate COVID-19 pneumonia with safe, locally available, and affordable drugs.
The research, led by Professor Dr Mohamed Abdelsalam El-Gohary, brought together a multidisciplinary team of doctors and scientists from Egyptian and international institutions.
Over two years, the team evaluated the safety and effectiveness of four treatment regimens combining repurposed antiviral drugs — Sofosbuvir/Daclatasvir, Sofosbuvir/Ledipasvir, Ivermectin, and Hydroxychloroquine — in 310 Egyptian patients with moderate COVID-19 infections.
“Our goal was to find a practical, homegrown solution that saves lives without overburdening healthcare systems,” Professor El-Gohary told Ahram Online. “Egypt produces these medications locally, which means they are accessible and affordable for millions.”
The findings showed that two specific combinations —Sofosbuvir/Daclatasvir with Ivermectin and Sofosbuvir/Ledipasvir with Hydroxychloroquine —helped patients recover faster, shortened hospital stays, and provided remarkable protection of lung tissues on CT scans.
Patients treated with these regimens returned home significantly earlier than those who received standard care.
“This reduction in hospitalization time has major implications,” El-Gohary explained. “It not only improves patient recovery but also reduces pressure on hospitals and public health budgets, a critical factor during pandemics.”
The new combination regimen also showed improved CT scan results for pneumonia, a crucial step in preventing post-COVID complications, a growing concern worldwide.
Equally important, the study confirmed that the new treatment combinations were safe and well tolerated, with no major side effects compared with existing protocols. The only factor linked to higher mortality was advanced age.
The EVERST study, which underwent extensive international peer review before publication, reinforces Egypt’s growing role in global medical research and innovation. It also highlights the potential of repurposing affordable antiviral drugs to address emerging diseases.
The Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) elected Engineer Saeed Mohammed Al Suwaidi, the UAE’s Permanent Representative to the ICAO, as Vice-President of the Council.
A press release issued today by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) stated that the election of the UAE’s representative confirms the UAE’s leading position in the international civil aviation sector and reflects the great confidence it enjoys from member states on the ICAO Council, as well as the appreciation for its prominent role in supporting ICAO’s efforts aimed at enhancing the safety, security, and sustainability of the global aviation sector.
His Excellency Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of the GCAA, said that the election of the UAE’s representative to this high-profile position reflects the international appreciation of the country’s contributions to the development of civil aviation policies. It also underscores the UAE’s commitment to enhancing its active participation within the ICAO Council and contributing more strongly to the formulation of decisions affecting the global aviation sector, reflecting its ambitious vision for international cooperation and leadership in this field.
For his part, Engineer Saeed Mohammed Al Suwaidi, the UAE’s representative to ICAO, expressed his pride in this international assignment, stressing that his election represents a significant responsibility and an opportunity to continue strengthening the UAE’s presence within the organization and support international efforts aimed at developing the civil aviation sector according to the highest standards of efficiency and sustainability.
Arabs are known for having had numerous contributions to civilizations—notably in the fields of Mathematics (Arabs invented Algebra), Astronomy (Al-Biruni discussed the earth’s rotation centuries before it was confirmed by Galileo), and Medicine (Al Razi was one of the first to diagnose diseases like smallpox and measles).
But Arab achievements didn’t end in the Golden Age and have continuously evolved to modern fields, so we’re here to round up some of the lesser-known greatest modern achievements by Arabs..
Noor Ouarzazte
Morocco is turning the Sahara Desert into the largest concentrated power complex in the world. The project is currently in progress, due to be complete before the end of 2018.
Arabs in Space
Sultan bin Salman Al Saud became the first Arab in space in 1985 – he was also the first royal astronaut ever. Syrian-born Mohammed Ahmed Faris followed in Al Saud’s footsteps in 1987.
Nobel Peace Prize Winners
Photo credit ODD ANDERSEN/AFP/Getty Images
The Tunisian national dialogue quartet was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015 for their role in building a democratic state in Tunisia following the Arab Spring.
Yemeni journalist and activist Tawakkol Abdel-Salam Karman preceded the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet in 2011 as Nobel laureate—she became the first ever Yemini and Arab Woman to win the Peace Prize, as well as the second youngest ever.
The ‘Father of Femtochemistry”
Femtochemistry is probably something too difficult for most of us to understand—but according to Wikipedia it’s “an area of chemistry that studies chemical reactions on extremely short timescales”. Ahmed Hassan Zewail, and Egyptian-American scientist, is known for pioneering a laser technique that allowed for easier analysis of chemical reactions. He even won a Nobel prize for his work in 1999.
Pritzker Architecture Prize Winners
The late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid was an internationally-acclaimed architect, renowned for her sci-fi creations. Having built some of the world’s most innovative spaces. In 2004, she became the first ever woman to win the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize—the most prestigious award in architecture.
Inside the first show dedicated to NYC’s Public Library’s Middle Eastern collections .
Outside The New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, the unmistakable scent of a halal food cart mingles with the sounds of various Arabic dialects, while two marble lions stand guard over Fifth Avenue. Inside, entire worlds are waiting to be discovered — including the often-overlooked stories of New York’s Middle Eastern and North African communities.
“Niyū Yūrk: Middle Eastern and North African Lives in the City,” the first exhibition dedicated to the Library’s Middle Eastern collections, opened Oct. 4. It will remain on view in the Ispahani-Bartos Gallery until March 8.
Curated by Hiba Abid, the exhibition contains around 60 objects — photos, books, periodicals and audio — dating from the 1850s to 2024. It centers specifically on the library’s own holdings, rather than attempting to tell a comprehensive history of MENA life in New York, Abid tells Arab News.
Drawing from over a century of rare materials the exhibition uses tangible objects to express the intangible: memory, identity and immigrant culture.
“It’s not a love letter. It’s a realistic letter,” Abid says, adding that these communities have long navigated complex questions of belonging, language, and preservation.
“The communities, from the very beginning, were wondering, ‘Where should our kids go to school? If they go to the public New York schools, they would probably lose their language, but we want them to still know Arabic and be aware of our traditions and values,’” she said.
The exhibition is divided into four chronological sections, designed to help guide visitors of all ages, from young children to seasoned scholars.
The first section, “Roads to New York,” focuses on the earliest waves of immigration. One of the first featured figures is Hatchik Oscanyan — later known as Christopher Oscanyan — an Armenian man born in what is now Türkiye. He came to New York in the mid-19th century and sought to educate Americans about the complexity of the Ottoman Empire. He wrote plays and newspaper articles, as well as “The Sultan and His People,” a book that offers insight into the region’s diverse ethnic and religious makeup.
The second section, “A Life in the City,” explores how immigrant communities began to form and thrive in New York, including in what was once known as Little Syria on Manhattan’s Lower West Side — an area that still exists today. They were entrepreneurs who opened restaurants, shops, and began publishing Arabic newspapers.
One of the most groundbreaking was Al-Hoda, founded by Naoum Antoun Mokarzel and his brother Salloum. “In the basement of Al-Hoda Press, they adapted the linotype machine from Latin characters to Arabic characters, which is very hard (because Arabic is) a cursive language,” Abid says. “By this technological innovation, he actually allowed other presses to form and to publish newspapers, periodicals, and books,” which then circulated throughout North and Latin America — and back to the Middle East.
In other words, New York was instrumental in literally building the Arabic press and exporting news to the Middle East.
Abid emphasizes how vital the library’s historical collections are to telling these stories.
“The library has been collecting these materials since the late 19th century,” she says, adding that many of them have been digitized, enabling audiences to interact with them in a new way.
The third section, “Impressions,” flips the gaze, revealing how Middle Eastern immigrants perceived New York and the US.
“Many immigrant groups embraced American values… but many (Arabs) actually didn’t like New York and didn’t like American values and left after a few years here or after a few months.” The exhibit highlights these ambivalences and the tensions of assimilation.
The final section, “In Our Own Skin,” is the most contemporary and, for Abid, the most personal. It includes raw, vulnerable stories that reflect racial identity, Islamophobia, and resistance. Among the most powerful pieces is the short documentary “In My Own Skin,” directed by Jennifer Jajeh and Nikki Byrd, which features interviews with five Arab women in New York, and was filmed just one month after the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
“The interviews are absolutely amazing. Every time I talk about it, I have goosebumps,” Abid says. “The way they talk about it — it is still very relevant today, as if nothing changed much, except that we’re probably more powerful because we are aware of this and we know how to organize and to fight back. We have the vocabulary now, and the community.”
That spirit of organization is embodied by Malikah, a grassroots collective founded by Rana Abdelhamid in 2010 as a self-defense class for Muslim women on Steinway Street in Queens. The movement has since expanded into a larger project of empowerment, healing, and solidarity — and is featured in the exhibit’s final section. The powerful sound of the athan, or call to prayer, has been important to this cultural shift.
While images of the Statue of Liberty — based on an Egyptian woman — didn’t make the cut, but Abid stresses its significance on each guided tour. On this occasion, though, she wanted to focus the visitors on lesser-known gems.
Having lived in New York for the past four years as a Tunisian immigrant who spent much of her life in France, Abid says she finds New York to be more diverse than anywhere else she has ever lived.
“I live on Atlantic Avenue in the Syrian corner. The things I witnessed here and in Middle Eastern parts of New York, like Astoria, I could never see anywhere else — even Paris,” she says. “When you go to the exhibition, you actually think, ‘Damn! We actually did a lot. And we’re here, you know—we’re here.
“It shows how New York was central to all of these struggles and how New York — thanks to its MENA community — was actually connected and aware. It puts New York on a global map, you know? I think New York is incredible terrain for this. It’s the space for it. That’s what this show is about, ultimately.”
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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A poster from 1920 promoting Columbia Syrian Arabic Records — Columbia was one of the major American record labels to recognize the commercial potential of ethnic music markets in the US. (Courtesy of The New York Public Library)
Ten months after her win in Bangkok, the 21-year-old tells Arab News about the sport, balancing studies and training, and the development of women’s boxing in the Kingdom.
The end of 2024 will always hold special memories for Yara Al-Amri. In December last year the young boxer made history by becoming the first Saudi woman to win an Asian medal in boxing — a new milestone for the Kingdom’s fast-growing women’s sports scene.
The 21-year-old fighter earned a bronze medal at the Asian Elite Championships in Bangkok, competing in the 52-kilogram category in her first international appearance.
She told Arab News: “It was my first international appearance, which was the toughest part — competing outside my country without my home crowd and coaches.”
The win was historic not only for Al-Amri, but for Saudi sport. “This changed my life, as I wrote history for Saudi Arabia by winning the first Asian medal in women’s boxing,” she said. “It doesn’t mean we don’t have champions, but the sport is still new in our country. Despite starting later than many nations, we quickly reached their level and proved we can compete and succeed.”
Based in Riyadh, Al-Amri trains under Ali Al-Ahmari at Al-Shabab Club. Standing 174 cm tall, the right-handed orthodox fighter has built a record of 27 fights, with 23 wins and four losses, and holds seven Saudi national titles.
Her path into boxing began unexpectedly. “I first started boxing as a fitness exercise, but soon felt I truly belonged in the sport,” she said. “I’ve always loved challenge and competition, and boxing gave me exactly that. In the ring, it’s just me, my mind, and my hands. Boxing completely changed my lifestyle, making me more disciplined and committed.”
Al-Amri describes the sport as a test of focus as much as strength. “You have to be patient, strategic, and intelligent. Every movement matters.”
Outside the ring, Al-Amri is pursuing a university degree, juggling training sessions and academic deadlines.
“As a university student, my days are always a challenge,” she said. “I train twice a day — morning and evening — while balancing my classes, studies, and daily tasks. My schedule is packed, but I make sure to manage both my academic and athletic commitments.”
Her discipline extends beyond boxing. Earlier this year, she completed the Riyadh Half Marathon, describing the 21-kilometer run as “pure challenge and joy.”
After nearly 30 fights, Al-Amri has learned to embrace both victory and loss. “The biggest lesson I learned from a loss is never leaving the result to the judges,” she said. “The fight must be clear — you have to showcase your skills so strongly that there’s no doubt.
“Injuries and defeats also taught me resilience,” she added. “I always say: ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’ Before a fight, I’ve learned to control nerves and pressure. It’s natural to feel it, but once I step into the ring, everything switches off — I focus only on my opponent.”
Al-Amri credits her success to the support around her. “My family has been my first and strongest supporters, from the beginning until today. Their belief in me gave me strength,” she said.
She also praised the institutions enabling women’s boxing to grow. “I deeply value the support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia — from our wise leadership to the ministry of sports, the Olympic Committee, the Saudi Boxing Federation, clubs, coaches, and the people. This collective support has been a huge force behind my journey.”
That system, she said, has helped turn a once niche pursuit into a recognized sport for Saudi women.
“My goal is to achieve as many titles as possible — national, regional, continental, and international,” Al-Amri said. “With God’s will, these achievements will come.”
She believes the next generation of Saudi women boxers will go even further. “Women’s boxing in Saudi Arabia has developed tremendously,” she said. “Clubs and coaches are now available across the country, teams are formed, and the determination of Saudi women is stronger than ever. We are capable of competing, representing, and making the sport grow even bigger.”
In only two years, Al-Amri has collected nine gold medals, seven national titles and two bronzes, combining athletic performance with academic success and public recognition.
Her rapid rise mirrors Saudi Arabia’s broader transformation under Vision 2030, which continues to expand opportunities for women in professional sports, from football and judo to boxing and beyond.
Al-Amri said her journey shows what happens when opportunity meets belief. “Boxing gave me strength and purpose,” she said. “It made me realize that nothing is impossible when you work hard, stay disciplined, and believe in yourself.”
As she continues to train for upcoming championships and sets her sights on future world competitions, Al-Amri’s mission is simple: to raise Saudi Arabia’s flag on the global stage.
From her first punch in a Riyadh gym to her medal podium in Bangkok, Yara Al-Amri’s story is one of faith, perseverance, and proof that Saudi women are not just entering the ring, they are redefining it.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Yara Al-Amri salutes the crowd after her victory, becoming the first Saudi woman boxer to claim an Asian medal. (SUPPLIED)
Tunisian scientist Emna Harigua receives national recognition for her AI-powered drug discovery platform.
Tunisian researcher Emna Harigua has been honoured with Tunisia’s 2025 Best Female Scientific Achievement Prize for her innovative drug discovery work powered by artificial intelligence (AI).
In recognition of women’s essential contributions to science and innovation, Harigua, who holds a doctorate in biomathematics, bioinformatics and computational biology, was awarded the prestigious prize by Tunisia’s Ministry of Family, Women, Children and Seniors as part of the celebrations for the country’s National Women’s Day, observed on August 13. Her achievements include leading research in AI-powered drug discovery through a national node in the Global South AI for Pandemic and Epidemic Preparedness and Response Network, a global initiative supported by IDRC and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Harigua, a scientist at the Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Tunisia, and principal investigator of the BIND project (Bioinformatics and Artificial Intelligence for Infectious Diseases), is leading an AI-powered platform that accelerates research against some of the world’s most persistent infectious agents that pose health risks.
Her research targets neglected tropical diseases such as leishmaniasis and malaria, combining bioinformatics, AI and experimental validation to shorten the drug discovery timeline and reduce costs. The BIND project has already identified nine novel anti-Leishmania drug candidates, with three now in pre-clinical validation. In addition, the team launched CidalsDB, an open-access AI platform for drug identification, marking a step forward in global efforts toward open science and collaborative health research.
“This award is not just a personal milestone — it’s a recognition of the potential of African-led science to tackle global health challenges,” said Harigua.
Beyond her lab, Harigua is a strong advocate for building Africa’s capacity in computer-aided drug discovery and ensuring that cutting-edge technologies serve the health needs of African communities. Her work — presented recently at the International Science Council during a workshop held in Nairobi, Kenya, on the impact of emerging technologies on science systems — underscores a vision where innovation, collaboration and inclusion drive the future of medical research.
source/contents; idrc.crdi.ca (Intl Develop Research Centre, Canada) – (headline edited)
Annual event at King Faisal Center spotlights heritage, intellectual legacy
The official celebration of the 13th Arab Manuscript Day was inaugurated on Sunday by Prince Turki Al-Faisal, chairman of the board of directors at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies.
Held under the theme “The Arab Manuscript: Life of a Nation and Pioneer of Civilization,” the event was organized in collaboration with the Institute of Arabic Manuscripts at the center’s headquarters in Riyadh.
Prince Turki said: “This day calls upon the memory of thought and allows the soul to listen to the echoes of centuries past.”
He added that Arab Manuscript Day went beyond celebrating paper and ink and honored the consciousness and intellectual legacy that shaped Arab and Islamic civilizations.
He recalled that the late King Faisal bin Abdulaziz received a delegation from the Institute of Arabic Manuscripts in Riyadh more than 50 years ago, near the site of the current center.
The meeting, he said, was a moment of “intellectual enlightenment,” during which King Faisal described heritage as a vital part of identity, comparing it to “a rich fountain of culture that never stops flowing.”
Abdulrahman Al-Khunaifer, adviser at the center, said that the day symbolized the convergence of time and place, at which “Damascus, Cairo, Baghdad, and Cordoba meet Riyadh and Diriyah” to celebrate the enduring legacy of the handwritten book.
He added that the center had produced thousands of titles and research projects that had kept the Arab manuscript “alive and beating” throughout history, and that the hosting of this year’s celebration represented the culmination of those efforts.
Three awards were presented during the ceremony: Yahya Mahmoud bin Junaid, a Saudi professor, was named the Heritage Research Personality of the Year in the Arab World.
In his acceptance speech he described heritage as a living tool for understanding modern society and the evolution of intellect, calling for the creation of a comprehensive digital index of heritage books to support researchers.
The award for Heritage Institution of the Year in the Arab World went to the National Laboratory for the Conservation and Restoration of Parchment and Manuscripts in Kairouan, Tunisia. Its director, Manal Rimah, said the recognition was a tribute to Tunisia’s cultural institutions.
The Heritage Book of the Year went to “The Collection of the Gems of Navigation in the Compendiums of the Benefits of Agriculture,” edited by Ihsan Thannoon Al-Thamiri, a professor from Iraq.
He described the work as an encyclopedic documentation of Arab agricultural knowledge, the result of a long period of dedication.
Since its founding in 1983, the center has become one of the leading global institutions in manuscript care. Its collection includes around 30,000 manuscript titles and 150,000 digitized manuscripts, reproduced in collaboration with major libraries and museums worldwide.
The center has also cleaned and restored about 330,000 books, manuscripts, and documents, reinforcing its position as a key scientific and cultural platform for future generations.
“What King Faisal began five decades ago with the Institute of Arabic Manuscripts is now being continued by his sons and grandsons with modern awareness and cultural dedication,” Prince Turki said as he reflected on the Kingdom’s vision of knowledge and culture as pillars of progress.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Left: Prince Turki Al-Faisal gives his opening remarks on the occasion of the 13th Arab Manuscript Day at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies; Since its founding in 1983, the center has become one of the world’s leading references in the field of manuscript care. It holds around 30,000 manuscript titles and 150,000 digitized manuscripts. (Supplied)
HUMAIN, a Public Investment Fund company has announced the launch of its Horizon Pro PC, billed as “a groundbreaking laptop designed to revolutionize agentic artificial intelligence personal computing.” Agentic AI systems can act independently and with initiative with limited, or no, human oversight.
The launch was announced by HUMAIN CEO Tareq Amin during the Snapdragon Summit in Maui, Hawaii.
According to a press release, the Snapdragon processor family at the core of the HUMAIN Horizon Pro deliver “leading AI performance and a powerful CPU so that the PC can operate up to 100 times faster than human thought.”
It added that the company’s upcoming proprietary HUMAIN ONE operating system “enables users to manage enterprise workflows, communications, and AI applications from a unified, adaptive interface designed to anticipate needs and accelerate decision-making.” It added that the new PC “offers zero-latency wake time, over 18 hours of battery life, a 40-percent reduction in power consumption compared to competing systems, and advanced thermal architecture for sustained, high-performance use across demanding environments.”
HUMAIN’s AI integrates the Arabic-first large language model “ALLaM” and “operates locally for maximum speed and data privacy, with the flexibility of hybrid AI to tap into the cloud when complex processing or broader insights are required, offering enterprise users the ideal blend of performance, control, and scale,” according to the company.
Amin said: “The HUMAIN Horizon Pro represents a paradigm shift in agentic AI personal computing, especially for enterprise environments where AI actively collaborates with users, both locally and in the cloud, to boost productivity.”
Amin also announced that HUMAIN will give away 500 of its PCs to students as part of its launch initiative to “help unlock new potential for learning, creativity, and future leadership in AI-driven fields.”
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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HUMAIN launched its Horizon Pro PC, a groundbreaking laptop designed to revolutionize agentic AI personal computing. The announcement was made by HUMAIN CEO Tareq Amin during the Snapdragon Summit in Maui, Hawaii. (SPA)
The Safety Wings drone can detect individuals in distress in water, swiftly navigate to their location, and drop inflatable life buoys.
Three Moroccan students from the Faculty of Sciences and Technologies (FST) in Settat have won a gold medal at the Innovation Week (IWA 2025) for their groundbreaking project, Safety Wings.
A drone that saves lives at sea
The winning project introduces a drone designed to revolutionize aquatic rescue operations.
The Safety Wings drone can detect individuals in distress in water, rapidly fly to their position, and deploy inflatable life buoys.
In contrast to existing buoys that sell for around $300 and are typically disposable, the Moroccan designers developed a reusable model that costs under $20. The only recurring expense is replacing compressed air cartridges.
Through the combination of reusability and affordability, the project provides an essential loophole in global rescue missions. The project is an affordable and scalable solution for impoverished communities with fewer resources but frequent aquatic emergency cases.
From Morocco to the world stage
Salah Bouhlal, Moad Es-Sraoui, Mohamed Kerroum, and Aziz Hraiba (supervisor) developed Safety Wings during their days as FST Settat students.
Their success at IWA 2025 places Morocco on the international innovation map and also shows how youthful scientists can convert pressing humanitarian needs into practical technological solutions.
OFEED, the organizer of the Innovation Week, describes the event as both a premier platform for showcasing and fostering cost-effective innovation and a “global community that believes ideas can become impact when courage meets collaboration.”
Innovation with human impact
Safety Wings is one component of a greater movement toward harnessing new technology for the public good. With their provision of life-saving gear, the Moroccan students seek to leave a positive impact on global standards of safety in aquatic environments, from seaside public beaches to remote fishing villages.
In addition to the Safety Wings team, other Moroccan innovators also figured among the winners of IWA 2025. Their projects spanned diverse fields. This collective achievement reinforced Morocco’s reputation as a hub of creativity and problem-solving on the international stage.
