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The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) appointed HE Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Kingdom of the Netherlands Dr. Mutlaq bin Majid Al Qahtani as a member of the Court.
Based in The Hague, the PCA is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to serving the international community in resolving disputes by peaceful means.
It was first established in 1899 during the first Hague Peace Conference, making it the oldest international institution for settling international disputes.
Sharjah Ruler collected 8,000 rare titles documenting French cultural history.
His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, is a leading Arab scholar and historian who has made contributions to documenting France’s cultural history from an Arab perspective.
The historian has been recently conferred the title of The Legion of Honour, with the rank of Commander – one of the highest national honours in the Republic of France in recognition of his efforts to strengthen cooperation relations between the French Republic and Sharjah in a variety of fields, particularly culture. The honour was granted to the Sharjah Ruler by His Excellency Emmanuel Macron, the French President, and presented by Nicolas Niemtchinow, Ambassador of the French Republic to the UAE.
His Highness is currently developing the chapters of a comprehensive work, the first of which is titled ‘The Century of Lights.’ Set in the 18th century – the chapter focuses on the era that established the foundations of Western society and examines the pivotal role played by Denis Diderot, the founder of the Encyclopédie, in collaboration with D’Alembert, as well as the contributions of liberal philosophers of that century such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Voltaire.
The Arab historian navigates the remainder of the 18th and 19th centuries in the following two chapters, before penning the fourth chapter titled, ‘Controversial Issues on Globalisation and Cultural Exception’ detailing everything that had happened in relation to globalisation and France’s role in it.
“France, at the helm of the European Union, began vigorously defending the idea of cultural exception; it has prevailed. From my end, I will publish this book in Arabic to introduce all Arabs to French culture,” His Highness said.
“In 2003, the French Republic conferred the ‘Order of the French Republic for Arts and Letters,’ with the rank of ‘Knight Commander’ upon me. I saw this honour as a mandate to continue cultural giving, and I discussed the Republic of France’s pioneering role in intellectual enlightenment and civilised communication, as well as its contributions to the cultural field, translation, and literature, and the spread of the concepts of freedom and justice,” His Highness added.
From that day forward, the Ruler of Sharjah initiated the acquisition of available written records that document the cultural history of the French Republic, using the titles of books in the Egyptian Scientific Institute in Cairo. “I collected nearly 8,000 rare titles in French and decided to establish a scientific institute for those books in Sharjah, similar to the French and Egyptian Institute,” His Highness added, saying he donated his entire collection to the institute in Egypt after it was turned to ashes by a violent fire in December 2011.
The event aims to bridge the growing North-South divide and drive inclusive economic development and a sustainable energy transition.
The World Economic Forum’s special meeting on global collaboration, growth and energy for development, scheduled to take place in Riyadh on April 28 and 29, is expected to address global challenges as geopolitical tensions increase.
The meeting will bring together more than 700 participants, including stakeholders from governments and international organisations, politicians and corporate leaders, as Saudi Arabia aims to boost its global profile.
The Riyadh gathering of global leaders will overlap with a recently announced visit by US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday to meet with regional partners. The goal is to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages, according to the State Department on Saturday.
WEF, held under three themes – catalysing action on energy for development, a compact for inclusive growth and revitalising global co-operation – the event aims to bridge the growing North-South divide, which has further widened on issues such as emerging economic policies, the energy transition and geopolitical shocks, it said.
Amid these intricate challenges, there is a strong need for action-orientated dialogues from the Global North and South, the Switzerland-based organisation added.
Faisal Al Ibrahim, the Saudi Arabian minister of economy and planning, said the world was at a global inflection point and that his country will implement its “full diplomatic might”, and ensure that conclusions made are not one sided.
“We are working to ensure that progress for one part of the world does not come at the expense of another,” he said, as the kingdom seeks a mutually beneficial path to prosperity for the intertwined destinies of the global community.
“This WEF special meeting comes at a time when Saudi government officials are accelerating efforts to shine a positive light on the country’s economic transformation and specific development initiatives,” Robert C Mogielnicki, senior resident scholar, The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, said.
“This special meeting is almost certainly going to be a net positive for Riyadh, as it is hard to see significant downsides to convening a dialogue with prominent global voices.
“However, events alone will not accomplish the government’s ambitious agenda. International investors are increasingly looking beyond splashy, organised events and talking points to gauge for themselves examples of concrete progress and future opportunities in Saudi Arabia.”
The world economy is facing geopolitical shocks, unabating inflationary pressures and central banks’ efforts to keep interest rates at elevated levels to stabilise consumer prices.
After a “surprisingly resilient” 2023, the International Monetary Fund revised global growth slightly higher this year to 3.2 per cent.
The global economy is set to post its slowest half-decade growth in 30 years, with the raging conflict in the Middle East among key downside risks to the outlook, the World Bank said in its Global Economic Prospects report.
Global economic prospects remain subdued and are fraught with uncertainty as more than half of chief economists expect the world economy to further weaken this year, a WEF report said in January.
The report stated that the world is facing a critical turning point and identified economic downturn and inflation, the lack of economic opportunity, disrupted supply chains for essential goods and energy, in addition to the impact of climate change as the issues that need the immediate attention over the next two years.
Hala Rharrit also served as the Dubai Regional Media Hub’s deputy director.
The US State Department’s Arabic-language spokeswoman has resigned over Washington’s Gaza policy.
“I resigned April 2024 after 18 years of distinguished service in opposition to the United States’ Gaza policy . Diplomacy, not arms. Be a force for peace and unity,” the bio portion of a LinkedIn page believed to belong to Hala Rharrit said.
Ms Rharrit’s resignation took effect on Wednesday, according to her State Department biography page.
She also served as the Dubai Regional Media Hub’s deputy director.
A State Department official confirmed to The National that Ms Rharrit no longer works for the Dubai Media Hub.
She first joined the Foreign Service in 2006. Her tours have included Yemen, Hong Kong, Qatar and South Africa.
In a previous interview with Al Arabiya News, which first reported her resignation, Ms Rharrit had warned about the generational cycle of violence and advocated for a return to diplomacy, not more arms transfers.
“There are channels … through which our workforce can share their points of view when they disagree with a certain policy or a certain action that the US government is taking,” Vedant Patel, deputy State Department spokesman, told reporters on Thursday after being asked about Ms Rharrit’s reported resignation.
He added that dissenting opinions “help lead to stronger, more robust policymaking”.
“Ultimately, anybody’s decision on whether they want to continue to repeat, remain employed somewhere or not, that is ultimately a decision for them to make.”
Ms Rharrit is the latest State Department employee to resign over President Joe Biden’s policy on Gaza, where more than 34,300 people have been killed amid the Israeli siege, according to local health authorities.
Late last month, staffer Annelle Sheline resigned publicly over the administration’s Gaza policy.
Josh Paul, another staffer who resigned last year over Gaza, told The National in March that while the resignations have likely put pressure on the administration, “it will still take an awful lot to actually shift” its actions.
There has been growing domestic discontent over Washington’s continued support of Israel, which includes a bill that was signed into law this week allocating $26 billion in aid to Israel.
US State Department official condemns Gaza policy after announcing resignation
The International Monetary Fund has opened its first office the Middle East and North Africa region in Riyadh.
The office was launched during the Joint Regional Conference on Industrial Policy for Diversification, jointly organized by the IMF and the Ministry of Finance, on April 24.
The new office aims to strengthen capacity building, regional surveillance, and outreach to foster stability, growth, and regional integration, thereby promoting partnerships in the Middle East and beyond, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Additionally, the office will facilitate closer collaboration between the IMF and regional institutions, governments, and other stakeholders, the SPA report noted, adding that the IMF expressed its appreciation to Saudi Arabia for its financial contribution aimed at enhancing capacity development in its member countries, including fragile states.
Abdoul Aziz Wane, a seasoned IMF director with an extensive understanding of the institution and a broad network of policymakers and academics worldwide, will serve as the first director of the Riyadh office.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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The office will facilitate closer collaboration between the IMF and regional institutions. Shutterstock
The third annual Hollywood Arab Film Festival began this week, bringing the best of 2024’s Arab cinema to Los Angeles and giving fans a chance to see the films in theaters as well as introducing a new audience to the Arab world’s top talent.
The event, which runs until April 21, was attended by a number of celebrity guests including Egyptian producer and screenwriter Mohamed Hefzy, Tunisian actor Dhaffer L’Abidine, renowned Egyptian star Elham Shahin and Egyptian producer Tarek El-Ganainy.
At the event, Hefty said: “Arab cinema really needs a platform to tell our stories and to show who we are, our identity, our hopes and dreams, our pains, and all the different social topics that are tackled in some of the films that are being presented are maybe more relevant today than ever. So I think it’s a great opportunity to have this dialogue.”
Hefzy’s film “Hajjan” was showing at the event. It is a Saudi Arabia-based film directed by Egyptian filmmaker Abu Bakr Shawky.
“Hajjan is a film about a young boy who got a very special connection to his camel, who has a brother who was a camel jockey and races,” Hefzy said. “And, one day when something really unexpected happens to his brother, and shatters his world, it forces him to step into his brother’s shoes and become a camel jockey, and so starts racing himself.”
The movie is a co-production between the Kingdom’s King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, or Ithra, and Hefzy’s Film Clinic.
“It was a film made in Saudi Arabia with Saudi talents and actors with an Egyptian director, but with the Saudi co-writer and Saudi actors and shot mostly in Saudi Arabia,” Hefzy said. “So I think it’s, it was a great experience, and learned a lot about Saudi Arabia, learned a lot about the culture.”
The festival featured cinema from various Arab countries, presenting films from 16 different nations. Marlin Soliman, strategic planning director of HAFF, highlighted the inclusion of six feature films, ten short films and six student films.
Spanning five days, HAFF offered its audience a vibrant experience, including a red-carpet affair, panel discussions on filmmaking and diversity in Hollywood, and, of course, screenings of high-profile films.
The festival also saw several filmmakers singing the praises of Saudi Arabia’s expanding film industry.
L’Abidine, the writer and director of “To My Son,” said: “I’m thrilled to be back again with my second feature film ‘To My Son,’ a Saudi film… I think there is a great evolution of Saudi cinema that’s been happening in the last few years.”
In a touching tribute to her late husband, Saudi businesswoman Wajanat Muhammad Abdel Wahed has built the world’s first 3D Printed Mosque that was thrown open to worshippers ahead of the Holy Month of Ramadan likely to begin Monday March 11, 2024.
In a touching tribute to her late husband, Saudi businesswoman Wajanat Muhammad Abdel Wahed has built the world’s first 3D Printed Mosque that was thrown open to worshippers ahead of the Holy Month of Ramadan likely to begin Monday March 11, 2024.
The mosque is named after the late Saudi businessman Abdulaziz Abdullah Sharbatly.
“I dedicate the reward of building the first mosque in the world using 3D printing technology to my husband, Abdulaziz Abdullah Sharbatly. I ask God to grant him benefit to the Kingdom and enable him to become a leader in line with #Saudi_Vision_2030 (sic)” Wajanat wrote on social media platform X Thursday, March 7, 2024.
“The idea materialized into constructing a mosque dedicated to the memory of my late husband, subsequently becoming the world’s first mosque built with 3D printing technology”, Wajanat said.
3D Printing Technology
The 3D Printed Mosque, built at a cost of 20 million Saudi Riyals on an area of 5,600 square meters as part of the Jeddah Governorate’s Al-Jawhara Suburb Project, is located in Saudi port city.
The 3D Printing Technology creates tangible objects from 3D Digital Models obtained through scanners and computer programs, using successive layers to form the final shape.
The construction of the mosque was completed in just six months. As many as four giant printers manufacture by the Chinese company Guanli 3D printers, the world’s leading manufacturer of 3D printers, were deployed for the purpose.
The construction of the world’s first 3D Printed Mosque in the Kingdom demonstrates future construction and architectural innovation, promoting local content and diversification, aligning with Vision 2030’s ambitious goals of non-oil production.
Wajanat pointed out that the mosque’s construction received private sector stimulus support, promoting modern construction through advanced technologies and industrial development.
“As a Saudi businesswoman, I wanted to contribute to introducing this modern technology to the Kingdom, positioning it among the first countries to utilize it”, she said in a statement.
“The construction of the mosque using 3D printing technology marks a significant milestone in technology and contemporary construction, signalling a move towards architectural innovation and global sustainable building practices”, she added.
Sheikh Mohammed felicitates Lebanese professor Fadel Adib for his research and innovations in wireless communication.
Professor Fadel Adib had his studies in a tumultuous period, while assassinations and car bombings were daily news in Beirut. Undeterred, he pursued his studies. And on Monday, he became the youngest winner of the first ever Great Arab Minds (GAM) award, earning a sum of Dh1 million to continue his work.
Felicitated by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, at a glamorous event held at the Museum of The Future, Fadel said he was humbled by the recognition.
“I feel honoured to be chosen among giants and big names in the field and to sit next to them,” he said. “I feel doubly honoured because this happened in the Arab world.” He also expressed his commitment to giving back to the Arab world and hoped to inspire and encourage more innovation within the region.
Currently an associate professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), it was Fadel’s research and innovations in wireless communication, particularly in identifying objects and vibrations hidden behind walls and under rubble, that earned him the recognition. According to the judging committee, his discoveries have opened up new possibilities for various industries.
Alongside Fadel, other winners included Algerian novelist Prof Waciny Laredj, Egyptian economist Dr Mohamed El-Erian and Lebanese scientist Prof Niveen Khashab. Each award winner will receive Dh1 million to fund their research and development.
Honouring of Arab minds
In her winning speech, Prof Niveen recalled how she was asked by her colleagues if she was “crazy” for wanting to move back to the Arab World. “In 2008, when I was at Northwestern University in Chicago, I received a call from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and was offered to be part of the founding academic staff of the university,” she said. “All the colleagues and professors told me: ‘Are you crazy, you cannot launch a scientific career in an Arab country.’ But I accepted this challenge and began my academic career at KAUST. Now, after fifteen years, I am pleased to share with you that the Chemistry Department at my university is not ranked 40th in the world.”
The GAM — the largest scientific movement in the Arab world with a budget of Dh100 million — was designed to seek and identify great minds in the region and reward them for their achievements. The initiative seeks to halt the brain drain trend in Arab nations by incentivising talented individuals to remain in their home countries and utilise available resources. Recognising individuals in six categories — namely natural sciences, architecture and design, engineering and technology, economics, literature and arts and medicine — the award was first announced in 2022.
After a year-long rigorous process, the winners were selected and announced by Sheikh Mohammed on social media platform X in late 2023.
Other winners recognised for their exceptional contributions were:
Dr Hani Najm from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, head of the department of adult and paediatric cardiac surgery at Cleveland Clinic Hospital in the United States. Dr Najm was acknowledged in the field of medicine for his groundbreaking work in cardiac surgery.
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, president of Queen’s College, University of Cambridge, received the award in the Economics category. His remarkable insights and contributions have reshaped the understanding of global economic trends.
Professor Niveen Khashab, whose groundbreaking research in the natural sciences earned her the Arab Geniuses Award. Her work has pushed the boundaries of scientific knowledge, particularly in her field of expertise.
Prof Lina Ghotmeh was recognised for her exceptional achievements in the Architecture and Design category. Her innovative designs have reimagined urban landscapes and inspired future generations of architects.
Prof Waciny Laredj was celebrated for his remarkable contributions to the Literature and Arts category. His literary prowess and artistic vision have captivated audiences and enriched cultural heritage.
Arab fashion was not absent from the recent Golden Globe Awards, held in Los Angeles, thanks to Lebanese designer Georges Chakra’s creations.
The creations of the Lebanese designer were showcased by US singer-songwriter Andra Day and model Molly Sims on the red carpet, each selecting distinct styles from Chakra’s collection. Andra Day chose a black semi-sheer gown adorned with floral ruffles, while Molly Sims opted for a gold, pleated dress with a floral epaulette on one shoulder.
A trademark of Lebanese design
Chakra’s journey into the fashion world began with an initial foray into interior design in Lebanon. However, seeking a different path, he moved to Canada to study fashion design at the Canadian Fashion Academy. In 1985, at the age of 22, Chakra returned to Lebanon and opened his first couture house. His designs quickly gained popularity in Lebanon owing to his European-influenced style that resonated well with the local taste. Chakra’s brand, ONNA Group, was launched in 1994 and has been expanding ever since.
Chakra made his international debut at Paris’s Haute Couture Fashion Week in 2001 with his collection, marking the beginning of his regular appearances at this prestigious event. He has also presented his collections at Mercedes Benz Prêt a Porter Week in New York. His work has featured in notable films such as “The Devil Wears Prada” and television series like “Gossip Girl.” Chakra’s designs have been chosen by numerous celebrities and have featured in major fashion magazines like InStyle, Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Elle, and others. His clientele includes celebrities such as Gwen Stefani, Hiba Tawaji, Goldie Hawn, Catherine-Zeta Jones, and many more.
Munira’s election recognises contributions of regional office in achieving WCO objectives
Saudi academic Munira Khalid Al Rasheed has made history by becoming the first Saudi and Arab woman to lead the World Customs Organisation’s regional offices for global information exchange.
The Regional Information Exchange Offices of the World Customs Organisation have elected Munira as the President of the Regional Information Exchange Network for the next two years (2025-2026).
The announcement was made during the 31st global meeting of the Regional Offices, recently held at the headquarters of the World Customs Organisation in the Belgian capital, Brussels.
The election follows Munira Khalid Al Rashid’s appointment as Vice-President in addition to her current position as the Director of the Regional Office for Information Exchange in the Middle East (RILO ME) at the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority.
Her election recognises the contributions of the Middle East Regional Office in achieving the objectives of the World Customs Organisation. It also involves representing 11 local offices affiliated with the Middle East region in all meetings, conferences, and workshops.
The Kingdom has, in recent years, enacted landmark reforms, significantly expanding women’s opportunities.
These reforms include granting women the right to drive and increasing their workforce participation.
Munira’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Management, Marketing, and International Business from the University of New Haven, USA, in 2004, and an Executive MBA from Al Yamamah University, Saudi Arabia, in 2013.
Over her 18-year career, Munira has held various positions, including heading the Admission and Registration Department at Al Yamamah University, working in the Regional Management Department at Credit Suisse Saudi Arabia, and serving as Director of Public Relations at Volkswagen Group Saudi Arabia.
She has also been the Director of the Marketing and Communication Program at the Government Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) and Advisor to the Deputy Governor for Security Affairs at the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority.
