RECORDS IN ME & AFRICA* – Page 75 – Arabian Records (1st post : Eid Al Fitr – 01st Shawwal 1439 (AH) / 15th June 2018 ) / (BETA testing – Research

Saudi Girl Ritaj Al-Hazmi, 12, World’s Youngest Novel Series Author by Guinness : May 2021

A young girl from Saudi Arabia has broken the Guinness World Record to become the globe’s youngest writer of a novel series.

Ritaj Alhazmi, 12, has published a series of three English-language novels, two of which came out before her last birthday.

She has been awarded for her Treasure of the Lost Sea series, which includes the novels Treasure of the Lost Sea, Portal of the Hidden World and Beyond the Future World.

In the third book, she explored the genre of science-fiction. “I introduce new creatures and robots. I also include travelling through worlds,’ she explains.

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Ritaj Alhazmi has become the world’s youngest book series author after she published three books before her teen years. Courtesy Ritaj Alhazmi / pix: thenationalnews.com

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SAUDI ARABIA

Dr. Hiba Mohamed, Award Winning Molecular Biologist

Hiba Mohamed Ph.D (aka) Hiba Salah-Eldin Mohamed

Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum

Awards/Honours:

2007 – Awarded Royal Society Pfizer Award
2004 – Awarded Wellcome Trust Research Development Award
2010 – Appointed Fellow of the Global Young Academy

Education:

BS (Hons) – Zoology, University of Khartoum (1993)
MS – University of Khartoum (1998)
Ph.D – University of Cambridge (UK), Institute of Medical Research (1998 – 2002)

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SUDAN

Dr Hajar Mousannif Winner of ‘Artificial Intelligence Award’

Hajar Mousannif Ph.D , Award winning Scientist. Educationist. Researcher

WomenTech Global Awards 2020 (Silicon Valley, California) awarded Artificial Intelligence (AI) researcher Hajar Mousannif as the golden winner of the WomenTech Global AI Inclusion Award.

A researcher and lecturer in AI, professor of machine learning and big data analysis at Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech, the Moroccan expert conducted her latest research on wireless sensor networks and vehicle networks.

Other Awards/ Honours:

2019 – First Prize in ‘Sustainability’ in Solar Decathalon Africa
Entrepreneurial Education Award at 13th National Business Day for Morocco’s Center for Young Leaders (CJD)
2014 – Winner L’Oreal-UNESCO for Women in Science International Award
2012 – Winner ‘Literati Network Award for Excellence
etc…

www.mousannifhajar.com

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MOROCCO

Asil Attar – First Female CEO of MENA Fashion Industry Leaders

Asil Attar. Global Fashion and Retail Industry Leader.

First Female CEO of Damas Jewellery (estb. 1907). Damas has a portfolio of over 40 international luxury brands and in-house brands. With 230 stores spread across GCC, it has secured a global trademark.

Asil Attar has worked with some of the world’s leading Department stores and most coveted Brands and Retail groups such as Harrods, Giorgio Armani Group, Coach, Karen Millen, Jigsaw and Majid Al Futtaim etc..

Asil was the CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Fashion, the licensee for Juicy Couture in the Middle East.

This has won her a number of accolades and recognition for her outstanding achievements.

Honours:

Forbes ME has placed her as one of the top 100 most Influential Arab Women, 2018 and Top 200 most powerful Arab Women, 2014.
Arabian Business awarded her Top Female CEO Kuwait, 2018 and top 100 powerful women, 2012.

www.asilattar.com

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UNITED KINGDOM / IRAQI-BRITISH / EUROPEAN ARAB

Dr. Farouk El Baz – Egyptian American Space Scientist and Geologist

Farouk El Baz Ph.D., Space Scientist. Geologist

Formerly – President Sadat’s Scientific Advisor (1978-1981)
Founder – Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, National Museum of Atmospheric and Space, at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC
Dr. El Baz played a pivotal role for the Apollo mission where he served as the secretary for the Apollo landing board on the moon, and was responsible for leading the astronaut training team in general science, particularly in moon imaging

So pivotal was he to Apollo that in Tom Hanks’ HBO TV-series, From the Earth to the Moon , El-Baz’s role as an Apollo scientist and astronaut trainer was featured in a segment entitled, “The Brain of Farouk El-Baz,” and a shuttle craft named El-Baz soared through the popular TV-series Star Trek : The Next Generation

Awards:

He has won over 31 awards, including achievements in science, in NASA, incl:
Golden Door Award of the International Institute of Boston
Nevada Medal of the Desert Research Institute
The Pioneer Award of the Arab Thought Foundation.
The Apollo Achievement Award

Honour:

Asteroid 7371 El-Baz, discovered by American astronomers Eleanor Helin and Schelte Bus at Palomar Observatory in 1978, was named in his honor. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 27 August 2019 ( M.P.C. 115893).

Book:

Deserts and Arid Lands , Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, ISBN 90-247-2850-9

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AMERICAN / EGYPTIAN-AMERICAN / ARAB AMERICAN

Farida Zahran: US based, Award-Winning Egyptian Filmmaker

Farida Zahran. Writer. Director

Festivals & Awards:

SXSW 2019 (World Premiere), Palm Springs ShortFest 2019, HollyShorts 2019, Hamptons 2019, Ajyal Film Festival 2019
Winner of Best Live-Action Short 15 Minutes and Under at Palm Springs International ShortFest (Oscar-qualifying), IFP Student Film Showcase
NYU 2021 Purple List for her screenplay The Leftover Ladies
Vimeo Staff Pick for Youth, she is no stranger to the film and TV industry.

Education:

Bachelors Degree – NorthWestern University, Doha, Qatar
MFA – Film. NYU Tisch School of Arts

www.faridazahran.com

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EGYPT

Dawit L Petros : Visual Artist , Educator

Dawit Petros. Visual Artist. Solo and Group Exhibitions. Researcher and Artist Lectures.

Dawit L. Petros – Assistant Professor, Department of Photography at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

He is represented by Tiwani Contemporary in London, UK and Bradley Ertaskiran in Montreal, Canada.

Awards :

Scotiabank Photography Award, Nominee
2019 Scotiabank Photography Award, Nominee

www.dawitlpetros.com

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CANADIAN / ERITREAN

Global Village Dubai Breaks its 25th Guinness World Record – ‘Highest Altitude Fireworks’ : May 2021

Global Village teamed up with Skydive Dubai to break a new Guinness World Record title, with 20 skydivers jumping from an altitude of more than 4,570 metres, lighting the skies with 78 fireworks, representative of the 78 cultures that were present at Global Village during its 25th season.

Visitors were treated to a rare and spectacular showcase, as the venue celebrated its silver jubilee season finale.

The initiative was in line with Global Village’s aim to break 25 Guinness World Records over the course of its 25th season, which ran from October 25 to May 2.

The stunt broke the Guinness World Record title for “highest altitude fireworks display”.

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

Sarah Gamal: First Arab Woman Basketball Referee at Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Hijab-wearing referee to become first Arab and African woman to officiate 3×3 games at Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Both the 32-year-old and 3×3 will make their debuts at the Olympic Games with Gamal becoming the first Arab and African woman to officiate a 3×3 basketball game at the Olympics.

The Egyptian proudly wears a black hijab and is the first hijab-wearing basketball referee for FIBA at an international level.

The headscarf worn by many Muslim women is allowed to be worn by players under certain conditions since FIBA changed its rules in 2017.

Gamal will follow in the footsteps of Moroccan referee Chahinaz Boussetta as a fellow Arab, who refereed five-on-five basketball at Rio 2016.

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EGYPT

Tunisia Launches First Satellite – ‘Challenge One’ – March 2021

Tunisia launches its first 100% Tunisian satellite.

The Tunisian telecommunication company Telnet Holding and the Russian space agency Roscosmos succeeded, on Monday, March 22, 2021 at 7:07 am, the launch of Challenger One, the first satellite of the country entirely manufactured locally.

Carried by a Russian Soyuz-2 launcher from the base of Baikonur (Kazakhstan).

According to the agreement, Challenge ONE is going to be a precursor for a constellation of 30 satellites to be launched by 2023.

Part of the agreement also involved SPUTNIX, a Russian private company, manufacturing high-tech microsatellite components and technologies. SPUTNIX’s involvement was to facilitate the development of the satellites and the establishment of R & D services for satellite components.

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TUNISIA