Category: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Halima Aden, First fully covered American Muslim Teen Contestant in Miss. Minnesota US : 2016

Halima Aden is the first american muslim teen to wear a hijab in the Miss. Minnesota USA pageant.

Supermodel, activist and humanitarian

First’s:

  • First woman to wear a hijab in the Miss. Minnesota USA pageant.
  • First contestant to wear a burkini and a hijab
  • First hijab wearing model featured on the covers of Vogue Arabia, Allure and British Vogue
  • First Somali-American to participate in student government in college
  • Crowned first Muslim Homecoming Teen, St.Cloud’s Apollo High School, Minnesota

Honours :

  • UNICEF Ambassador, to support UNICEF’s mission to put children first ( July 2018).

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American / Somali-American

Burj Khalifa, Holds 7 of the World’s Records : Dubai, UAE

Burj Khalifa is the World’s Tallest Building. A living wonder.

At over 828 metres (8,216 feet) and more than 160 stories. It holds the following world records.

WORLD RECORDS:

  • Tallest building in the world
  • Tallest free-standing structure in the world
  • Highest number of stories in the world
  • Highest occupied floor in the world
  • Highest outdoor observation deck in the world
  • Elevator with the longest travel distance in the world
  • Tallest service elevator in the world

Emaar Properties PJSC is the master developer of Burj Khalifa.

www.burjkhalifa.ae

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Dubai / United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Lars Salem Al Fakir Wins Swedish Grammy Awards : 2008

Swedish Lars Salem Al Fakir (aka) Salem Al Fakir (aka) Logola, Damien Adore wins multiple Swedish Grammy’s.

Salam Al Fakir Swedish singer, Songwriter, Producer and Musician

Awards :

  • Swedish Grammy Awards – Multiple : 2008, 2014, 2015
  • Several other Awards .,

Highlights:

  • Performed at the Swedish Royal Wedding of Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist

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Sweden / Swedish Arab / Syria

Latifa Al Afraoui – Wins ‘World Music Award – 2004

Latifa (aka) Latifa Bint Alaya Al Arfaoui – Tunisian pop singer and actress

Award:

Winner – World Music Award – Best selling artist in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) for her album ‘Ma Etrohsh Ba’ed’ (Don’t go away).

Lives in Tunisia, UAE and Egypt

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Tunisia

Lebanese Restaurant ‘Leila’ named ‘One of the Best New Eateries in America’

Leila, a Detroit (MI) based Lebanese restaurant founded by Samy Eid.

  • One of the Best New Eateries in America – GQ magazine in their ‘ GQ’s Best New Restaurants in America for 2020 . (GQ was formerly Gentleman’s Quarterly)

Earlier by :

  • 2020 Detroit Free Press ‘Restaurant of the Year ‘.

www.leiladetroit.com

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USA / Lebanese-American / Lebanon

‘Maraya Concert Hall’ – Saudi Arabia. World’s Largest Mirror-Clad Building – April 2020

Saudi Arabia’s 500-seat ‘Maraya Concert Hall’ in the north-west province of AlUla breaks a new global record.

The unveiling of the new shimmering new facade was at a special cermony held by the Royal Commission of AlUla, at the 2nd season of the ‘Winter at Tantora Festival’ .

External cladding facade displays 9,740 square metres of mirror designed as a cuboid. Guinness World Record title was on December 26th, 2019.

pix: businesswire.com

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AlUla, Saudi Arabia

Ramy Youssef Wins ‘Golden Globe Award’ 2020

Ramy Youssef wins the ‘Golden Globe Award 2020’ for-‘ Best Actor in a Television series Musical / Comedy’ category.

Ramy was awarded for his stage performance in the 10-episode Hulu comedy series ‘Ramy’.

Ramy Youssef – Actor, Stand-up comedian, Writer

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USA / Arab-American / Egypt

Amney Jamal Elected to ‘American Academy of Arts & Sciences’ – April 2020

Dr. Amney Jamal – Princeton University has been named as one of the members of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

She is Princeton faculty of : Edward S. Sanfords – Professor of Politics / Director – Mamdouha S. Bobst Center for Peace and Justice

Jamal is Senior Advisor – PEW Research Center Projects . Conducts Workshops on Arab Political Development, Princeton University

Education:

Bachelors – UCLA – 1993

PhD – Political Science, University of Michigan

Books :

  • Barriers to Democracy : The other side of Social Capital in Palestine and the Arab World – (2002) / ‘ Winner ADSA Best Book Award 2008
  • Race and Arab Americans Before and After 9/11: From Invisible Citizen to Visible Subject – (2007) (co-author with Nadine Christine)
  • Citizenship and Crisis : Arab Detroit after 9/11 – (2009)
  • Of Empires and Citizens – Pro-American Democracy or No Democracy at All – (2012)

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USA / Arab-American / Palestine

Sofia Saidi Crowned ‘Miss Arab Next Top Model’ – June 2019

Sofia Saidi was crowned winner from an international competition with contestants from 53 countries at a glittering ceremony in Beirut, Lebanon on June 29th, 2019

Education:

-Bachelor’s Degree: International Management

-2 Master’s Degrees : (1) Strategic Organizational an Technological Evolutionism – Pantheon-Assas University Paris II / (2) Master’s Degree : Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship

pix: worldfashionmedianews.com

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Morocco / Paris, France

Hany El Behairy first Egyptian to join Carrousel du Louvre Fashion Show in Paris : January 2020

Hany El Behairy – Haute Couture Fashion Designer. Egyptian couturier.

Famed designer Hany El Behairy has become the first Egyptian to participate in the Oriental Fashion Show at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, which was held on Monday, January 20 and entitled “The Wonders of the Silk Road.“

During the show, Behairy impressed audiences with a diamond-studded wedding gown, modeled by Egyptian actress Mai Omar. 

Numerous celebrities have worn designs from Behairy Haute Couture, including Yousra, Laila Elwy, Warda Al Gazaeria, Elham Shahin, Safaa Abu El Seoud, Latifa, Hanan Tork, Dalia El Behairy, Sabah, Ghada Abdel Razek, Shaimaa Saeed, and Poussu Shalaby.

Awards :

– Best Fashion Designer in Egypt (2001) / Best Fashion Designer in Cairo Cinema Festival (2009) / Best Fashion Designer in the Arab World (2005)/ Best Fashion Designer in Alexandria Cinema Festival (2014) etc.

-Award for the Best Fashion Designer of 2006 at Mediterranean Festival in Napoli along with the “Moda Week” festival in Italy

– Best Fashion Designer.” at ‘LUX Festival’ in Lebanon

– Behairy was honored by the Italian Ministry of Culture as well as the Mayor of Rome in 2006.

www.hanyelbehairycouture.com

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pix: egyptindependent.com

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Egypt