Category: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Oman’s Jokha Alharthi – First Arab Woman to Win Man Booker International Prize

Omani Author Jokha Alharthi became the first Arab Woman Arabic language novelist to win Man Booker International Prize 2019 for the novel ‘Celestial Bodies’.

The award also carries a cash prize of GBP 50,000 (USD 64,000).

The novel ‘ Sayyidat el-Qamar ‘ published in Arabic was translated into English by US academic, now UK based translator Marilyn Booth who teaches Arabic literature at Oxford University. Celestial Bodies was published by Sandstone Press, Scotland.

Dr. Jokha Alharthi studied Arabic poetry and did her Ph.D in Classical Arabic literature in Edinburgh and is now a Professor teaching at the Sultan Al Qaboos University, Muscat.

Alharthi has published three collections of short stories, three children’s books, and three novels (Manamat, Sayyidat el-Qamar and Narinjah)

  • Winner of the Sultan Qaboos Award for Culture, Arts and Literature, for her novel Narinjah (Bitter Orange) in 2016. 

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Omani author Jokha Al Harthi wins the Man Booker International Prize for 2019 / bbc.com //AFP

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OMAN

Nayla Tueini Wins Media Personality of the Year At The 19th Arab Journalism Awards : December 2020

Nayla Tueini , the CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Lebanon’s Daily – Annahar was chosen as Media Personality of the Year at the 2020 Arab Media Forum, held virtually from Dubai, for her strong and steady leadership of Annahar.

December 23rd, 2020.

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Nayla Tueni holds a blank edition of her newspaper during a news conference in Beirut. (Reuters) / pix: arabnews.com

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LEBANON

Sheikh Zayed Festival sets two Guinness World records : Abu Dhabi, UAE : 2021

The Sheikh Zayed Festival has set two Guinness World records with a dazzling fireworks display that lasted for 35 minutes to welcome 2021.

The second was for the longest Girandola fireworks show in the world.

The Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival is a cultural festival that is held annually in Abu Dhabi.

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source : wam.ae

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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)

World Record-breaking UAE Flag made with Mosaic Cards. Goal to Feed 49,000 families : December 24th, 2020

The UAE flag, measured an 490 square metres, was constructed outside Dubai Police, Al Wasl, behind City Walk.

The occasion organized by nefsy has raised funds to buy food boxes to feed 49,000 families in need, following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

49,000 food boxes made up of essential items including rice, wheat, oil, sugar, salt, water and also sanitiser, are now being distributed by Emirates Red Crescent – and will feed more than 250,000 individuals for more than 10 days.

The challenge was launched in celebration of the UAE’s 49th National Day to celebrate the spirit of the UAE, but to also help combat world hunger, nefsy’s primary aim. .

The Guinness World Records title awarded to nefsy – of the Largest greetings card mosaic (flag) made from folded, greetings cards is a representation of the UAE flag and a celebration of this significant achievement – as well as the first and biggest flag of a good cause.

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Image Credit: Antonin Kelian Kallouche, Gulf News Photographer / www.gulfnews.com

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

Asim Gorashi – Singer, Musician

Asim Gorashi . Singer, Classical Violinist, Musician, Multi-Instrumentalist, Whistler and Music Teacher.

First Sudanese musician to play the violin and sing at the same time.

World Whistling Champion – 36th International Whistlers Convention, North Carolina (2009) – after whistling the second movement for Mozart’s famous Eine klein Nachtmusik.

Education:

  • Bachelors Degree (Music) – The High Institute of Music and Drama, University of Sudan (2004)
  • PG Diploma (Music Technology) – Queensland Conservatory (2008)
  • Masters Degree (Music Performance)- Queensland Conservatory (2011)

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pix: theaustralian.com.au

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AUSTRALIA / SUDAN

Designer of the Door of Holy Kaaba – Syria’s Engineer Muneer Sarri Al-Jundi

The door of the Holy Kaaba was designed by Syrian Engineer Muneer Sarri Al-Jundi last in 1399 AH (1978). The door was commissioned by King Khalid Bin Abdul Aziz.

The entrance of the Holy Kaaba is made of 280 kg of pure gold.

The door is 3 metres in height, 2 metres in width and half metre in depth. It consists of 2 rudders and a 10cm base made of Thailands’, Macca Moon Wood.

It was made in the factory of the famous goldsmiths the Badr family of Mecca – Sheikh Al-Sagha, Sheikh Mahmoud Badr.

The lines engraved on the door were made by Syed Abdul Rahim Bukhari.

Engineer Muneer Sarri Al-Jundi had the honour of having his name inscribed on the door of the Holy Kaaba.

Muneer Al-Jundi died on December 16th, 2020 (Wednesday – Jumada Al-Awal 04, 1442 AH).

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pix: haramainsharifain.com

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SYRIA

Abdullatif Al Fozan Award for Mosque Architecture

Abdullatif Al Fozan Award for Mosque Architecture was established in 2011.

Its focus is the architectural, urban, and technical aspects of mosques all over the world, and is awarded to the related designer/architect.

The main objective of this award is the development of contemporary design of mosques, throughout a specialized and classified database.

The award is triennial.

The winning mosques will be awarded based on assessment of an international architectural jurors experienced with mosque architecture, who will relatively evaluate and assign the winning mosques.

The candidate mosques will be categorized into three categories; Central Mosques, Jumaa’ Mosques, and local mosques.

Yet, there are prizes given to innovations and ideas which helps in developing the concept of mosques in the twenty first century.

The Founder is Shaikh Abdullaatif Al Fozan

www.alfozanaward.org

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SAUDI ARABIA

Mona Khazindar: First Female (and First Saudi) Director of the Arab World Institute, Paris

Arts Curator and Historian.

  • Director-General of Institut de Monde Arabe (IMA) aka Arab World Institute based in Paris
  • Co-curated First Saudi Pavilion at the 54th Venice Art Bienniale (2011)

Books Published :

  • ‘View from the Inside : Contemporary Arab Photography, Videos and Mixed Media Art’ (2014)
  • ‘Visions from Abroad: Historical and Contemporary Representation of Saudi Arabia’

Honours:

  • ‘Woman of the Year’ by Forum of Arab Women

Education:

  • Masters : Modern History, Sorbonne

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pix: arabnews.com

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SAUDI ARABIA

World Arabic Language Day : December 18th

December 18th. Since 2012. When the UN decided to adopt it as its 6th official language.

The Arabic language is a pillar of the cultural diversity of humanity.

It is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, used daily by more than 290 million people.

World Arabic Language Day is celebrated every year on 18 December since 2012.

The date coincides with the day in 1973 that the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted Arabic as the sixth official language of the Organization.

Message from the Director – General

“Arabic is a bridge between cultures and across borders – a true language of diversity. (…) on this international day, UNESCO will celebrate and explore the role of Arabic language academies.  Not only do these institutions preserve, enrich and enhance the Arabic language, they also help monitor its use in conveying accurate information in the context of global current events.”

— Message from Ms Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO

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The poster for World Arabic Language Day is an artwork of the Tunisian calligrapher Karim Jabbari which illustrates the following piece of poetry

“He who imbued languages with the highest qualities
Bequeathed to Arabic the secret of beauty“

— Ahmed Chawqi

pix: https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/worldarabiclanguageday

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source: all text and images from en.unesco.org

Leila Aboulela. Award Winning Writer

Leila Aboulela . Writer. Author.

Awards :

  • Caine Prize for African Writing
  • Fiction Winner of the Scottish Book Awards
  • Saltire Fiction Book of the Year

Books:

  • Elsewhere (short story collection)
  • Home
  • Novel – Bird Summons (2019)
  • Novel – The Kindness of Enemies (2015)
  • Novel – Lyrics Alley (2011)
  • Novel – The Translator (1999)
  • Novel – The Minaret
  • The Museum ( short story)

Education:

  • BA (Ecomonics) – University of Khartoum, Sudan
  • M.Sc (Statistics) – London School of Economics
  • M.Phil (Statistics) – London School of Economics

www.leila-aboulela.com

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pix : en.wikipedia.org / Vaida V. Naim

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UNITED KINGDOM / SUDAN–EGYPT / BRITISH SUDANESE