Winners of ‘Short Film Production Grant’ – Sharjah Art Foundation – UAE : July 2020

Sharjah Art Foundation announces winners of Short Film Production Grant.

Filmmakers Nadira Amrani (b. 1993, Manchester, UK), Soha Shukayr (b. 1989, Baljarshi, Saudi Arabia) and Pelin Tan and Anton Vidokle (b. 1974, Hilden, Germany; b. 1965, Moscow, Russia) have been awarded a total of US$ 30,000 to support the creation of the three original short films.

The winning candidates were selected from a pool of more than 500 applicants from over 65 countries,

All three films will be shown at future editions of the Sharjah Film Platform.

Shukayr presenting her film at 3rd edition of Sharjah Film Platform, 4th to 21st November 2020, and Amrani and duo Tan and Vidokle presenting their films at the 2021 edition.

“Sharjah Film Platform was conceived to support filmmakers from all over the region and around the world ” said Hoor Al Qasimi, Director of Sharjah Art Foundation. “

pix: wam.ae

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Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE)

World’s Longest Chandelier – at ‘Ali Bin Khalifa Al Hitmi’, Doha, Qatar : June 2010

The world’s longest chandelier by number of lights called ‘ Reflective Lights’ is installed at the Ali Bin Khalifa Al Hitmi & Co, office building on the water front in Doha on June 23rd, 2010.

-Largest Chandelier in the world

-Largest inter-active LED light sculpture

The exhibit is an organic art sculpture by day and then transformed when the light is introduced behind the glass frame.

The ‘Reflective Lights’ chandelier weighs 18,000 kg (39,683 lbs) and has 165,000 LED units. It measures 5.8m (19ft) in height at 12.5m (41 ft) in linear width and 38.5 m (126 ft 4in) in linear length. Certified by Guinness World Records.

The Chandelier is designed by Beau McClellan, Scotland.

pix: wholesaleledlights.co.uk

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Qatar

World Record for ‘Spinning 200 Hula Hoops Simultaneously ‘ – Marawa Ibrahim – Somali Australian

Marawa Ibrahim (aka) Marawa The Amazing, has the World record for performing ‘200 Hoops at one time’. Acrobat. Author. Teacher.

She also holds another 12 records. Austraclian champion of records.

Author of the book ‘The Girl Guide’ – helping to empower young women to live changing their bodies.

www.marawatheamazing.com

source: marawantheamazing.com

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Australian. Somali-Australian

First Arab Actor To Receive ‘Dubai Star’ – Egyptian Ahmed Helmy : October 2019

Ahmed Helmy’s (Ahmed Muhamed Helmy Abdel Rahman Awwad) name was placed in the ‘Celebrity Corridor in Dubai’ , an Arab Version of the ‘Hollywood Walk of Fame’.

Ahmed Helmy – Actor. Comedian. Film Producer. TV Presenter. TV Personality. Author

Dubai Star was launched with the first 400 stars in October 2019.

The Dubai Stars is a grand tribute to renowned personalities who have positively contributed to the world through their work in various fields, such as filmmaking, art, architecture and music.

pix: ElFajr News – commons.wikipedia.com

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Egypt

Nuruddin Farah – International Award Winning Writer : Somalia

Nuruddin Farah (aka) Nuuradiin Faaraa . Novelist. Essayist. Short Stories. Playwright. Educator.

Books /Novels :

-From a crooked rib (1970) /A naked needle (1976) / Sweet and Sour Milk (1979) / Sardines (1981) / Close Sesame (1983) / Blood in the Sun (1986) / Maps (1986) / Gifts (1993) / Secrets (1998) / Past Imperfect / Links (2004) / Knots (2007) / Crossbones (2011) / Hiding in Plain Sight (2014) / North of Dawn (2018)…etc..

Awards/Honours :

-English-Speaking Union Literary Award (for Sweet and Sour Milk) (1980) / -Corman Artists Fellowship (1990) /- Kurt Tucholsky Prize, Sweden (1991) / -Best Novel Award (for Gifts), Zimbabwe (1993) / Premio Cavour (for Italian translation of Close Sesame),Italy (1994) / -Neustadt International Prize for Literature (1998) /- St Malo Literary Festival Award (for French edition of Gifts) (1998) etc…

Presently lives in Cape Town, South Africa

pic: hiiraan.com

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Somalia

Largest Copper Bas-relief Sculpture : Ali Moneer Alassad , Syria 2009

The largest copper bas-relief created by Ali Moneer Alassad in Qurdaha, Lattakia, Syria, on 2 July 2009.

The bas-relief measures 122.5 sq mtr (1,318.5) sq m and is 50.10 m long and 2.44 m tall.

Alassad and his team spent 4,000 working hours to finish the copper bas-relief. The copper bas-relief is surrounded by ornamental plant Islamic framework and includes a 78 portraits represent the most important archaeological finds in Syria throughout history.

The bas-relief reflects the history of Syria since 9 thousand years BC. until the present time.

source: Guinness World Records / world-records.org /

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Syria

World’s Largest Hand-Woven Carpet – Abu Dhabi, UAE

The largest hand-woven carpet sits in Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan Mosque in Abu Dhabi.

The massive Persian carpet was created in 9 parts and assembled inside the mosque. It took 1,200 weavers from the Khorasan province about one year to hand craft. The carpet features 2.2 billion hand-tied individual rug knots, weighs 12 tons and is 5,360 square meters (60,000.81 sq. feet) . It was manufactured in Iran in 2007.

Record by the Guiness World Records

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Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Amal Al-Agroobi – Emirati Neuro-Scientist / Filmmaker : UAE

Amal Al-Agroobi – Emirati Neuro-scientist . Documentary filmmaker, Director, Producer, Writer and Entreprenuer

Entreprenuer:

  • Founder & Owner : AlAgroobi, production company

Awards:

  • Digital Studio Awards for Best Up and Coming Filmmaker of the Year – 2013
  • Digital Studio Awards Best Production (special commendation) for The Brain That Sings – 2014
  • The People’s Choice Award at the Dubai International Film Festival – 2014
  • Women in Film and Television honored as Best New Director – 2014

Education:

M.Sc. : Neurosciences, University College, London

B.Sc : Biomedical Sciences, University of Durham, U.K.

Certificate : Short film production

Certificate : Acting for film

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United Arab Emirates

13 women appointed to Saudi Human Rights Commission : July 2020

Thirteen women have been appointed to the Saudi Human Rights Commission (HRC) under a royal decree issued by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman.

“Appointing 13 women as members of the HRC council, with a total of 26 members, is in line with efforts made by the Kingdom’s leadership to enable women to occupy leading positions in various fields, and helps achieve what is best for the country,” said Dr. Awwad bin Saleh Al-Awwad, head of the HRC

source: www.arabnews.com

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Saudi Arabia

Mourad Boudjellal – Founder – Soleil Production, France

French businessman, publisher and sports enthusiast.

Owner:

  • Soleil Production – French Comic Publisher
  • President – RC Toulonnous (2006-2009)
  • Former – Toulon Rugby Club

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France / French -Tunisian