World’s Largest Drinking Water Storage Tank – Kahramaa : Qatar -August 2020

Kahramaa (Qatar General Electric and Water Corporation) entered the Guinness Book of Records for the category – ‘Volume of the Largest Water Tank of its Kind in the World’.

It has 436,000 cubic meters (exceeding 96 million imperial gallons) capacity.

Qatar’s new world record reflects the efficiency and its strategy to enhance water security for its nation.

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pix : thepeninsulaqatar.com

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Qatar

Huda Al-Sarari – Awarded ‘ 2020 Martin Ennals Award ‘ : Yemen

Huda Al-Sarari. Lawyer. Human Rights Defender.

The 2020 Martin Ennals Awards ceremony was co-hosted by the Martin Ennal Foundation and the City of Geneva.

Al-Sarari is one amongst the 3 women awarded as laureates for Human Rights Defenders. The other two are Sizani Ngubane (South Africa) and Norma Librada Ledezma(Mexico).

For the first time in the history of the Award, all three finalists are winners.

Education:

  • Masters’ Degree – Women’s studies and Development, Women’s Centre – Aden University
  • Bachelor’s Degree – Sharia and Law, Aden University
pix : ishr.ch

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Yemen

Dubai Police Women Officers pull a Boeing Plane. Set a new World Record : UAE, November 2018

Heaviest aircraft pulled over 100 m by a team (female).

A team of 77 female officers of Dubai police established a world record by pulling a Boeing 777-300ER weighing 168.801 tonnes (168,801 kg/372,142 lb) over 100 meters distance.

Dubai Police entered the Guinness Book of World Records thanks to the feat of 77 of its officers, exclusively females, who dragged an Emirates plane .

A feat for a great cause

The aircraft, a Boeing 777 of 74 meter-long and 240 tons, was pulled with one rope attached to its undercarriage. The exploit was part of Dubai Fitness Challenge, a wonder event that aims to encourage residents to exercise more.

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pix : www.guinnessworldrecords.com

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Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Ons Jabeur. Makes History – Cracks Top 30 in WTA Rankings (August 2020). Arab Woman of the Year in Sports (2019).

Ons Jabeur. Female Tennis Professional.

Ons Jabeur is expected to climb to 30th rank in the International Womens’ Tennis Association (WTA) rankings.

She has won 11 singles titles and one doubles title on the ITF Women’s Circuit.

-Arab Woman of the Year in Sports (2019)

-First Arab Player to win a Junior Grand Slam Singles title

-First Arab Woman to reach quarter finals of a Grand Slam Tournament at the 2020 Australian Open

-Highest ranked Arab Player in WTA history

pix : en.wikipedia.com

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Tunisia

World Record Winner of ‘Marathon des Sables’ – Lahcen Ahansal

Lahcen Ahansal . Athlete. Long distance runner.

He has the world record for most wins by an individual – 10 wins. The first in 1997 and then 9 of them consequtively 1999 upto 2007

Marathon des Sables is considered to be the toughest running race in the world. It is a six-day ultradistance event that covers 254 km across the Sahara Desert in Morocco.

Lahcen Ahansal is also an organiser to trekking in Southern Morocco and the ‘Zagora Marathon’.

Other Events:

  • 2010: Winner of the Al Andalus Ultimate trail 
  • 2006: Winner of the Ultra Marathon of Belgium (100  km )
  • 2006: 2 nd  place in the Beaujolais Marathon (team winner)
  • 2006: 3 th  place at the Ultra Marathon Verbier , Switzerland
  • 2002: 2 nd  place in the 100 km of Biel , Switzerland
  • 2001: Winner of the Swiss Alpine Marathon ( Davos , Switzerland)
  • 1999: Winner of the Défi Val-de-Travers , Switzerland (74  km , 2952D +)
  • 1998: Winner of the Super Marathon des Gorges du Verdon , France
  • 1998: Winner of the Austrian Ultra Marathon
  • 1995: 3 rd in the Moroccan Super Marathon (contested in the Atlas Mountains)

– A Book by Belgian journalist Marie-Pierre Fosny ‘Marathonien des Sables – Lahcen Ahansal, Nomadic Child and Desert Star’

pix: moroccansoftheworld.com

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Morocco

Lebanese Author Amin Maalouf Awarded ‘ National Order of Merit, France ‘ : March 2020

Amin Maaloof . Scholar. Writer. Novelist.

Honours / Decorations :

-Chevalier of the Legion of Honour – France / – Grand officier of the National Order of Merit – France / Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Letrres – France / Knight First class of the Order of the Lion of Finland / Grand Cordon of the National Order of the Cedar – Lebanon / Officier of the Order of Cultural Merit – Monaco

-Spanish Prince of Asturias Award for Literature (2010)

-Sheikh Zayed Book Award for “Cultural Personality of the Year” -2016

-Elected member of the Academie francaise – 23 June 2011 . Maalouf is the first person of Lebanese heritage to receive that honor

Books / Fiction :

Leon l’Africain (1986) Leo Africanus-translated by Peter Sluglett / Samarcande (1988) Samarkand – translated by Russell Harris / –Les jardins de lumiere (1991) – The Gardens of Light – translated by Dorothy S. Blair / –Le Premier siecle apres Beatrice (1992) – The First Century after Beatrice – translated by Dorothy S. Blair / –Le Rocher de Tanios (1993) – The Rock of Tanios – translated by Dorothy S. Blair / –Les Echelles du Levant (1996) – Ports of Call – translated by Alberto Manguel / –Le Periple de Baldassare (2000) – Balthasar’s Odyssey – translated by Barbara Bray

Books / Non-Fiction :

Les Croisades vues par les Arabes (1983) – The Crusades Through Arab Eyes / –Les Identites meurtrieres (1998) – In the Name of Identity : Violence and the Need to Belong – translated by Barbara Bray / –Origenes (2004) – Origins : A memoir – translated by Catherine Temerson / – Le Dereglement du monde (2009) – Disordered World – translated by George Miller

pix: dailystar.com.lb

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French / French-Arab / Lebanese-French

Khalid Al Falih : Minister of Investment. Chairman – Aramco : Saudi Arabia : Feb 2020

Khalid A. Al-Falih is the Minister of Investment, Saudi Arabia. Concurrently Chairman of Aramco.

Achievements / Honour:

-Listed in Forbes Most Powerful People for 2016

-Distinguished Alumnus Award ,Texas A & M University (2013)

-Petroleum Executive of the Year Award 2016 from Energy Intelligence

-Top 100 most powerful Arabs 2019 – Gulf Business

-The Order of the Rising Sun , Japan

Education:

-Harvard Business Program in Global Leadership (1998)

-MBA : Financial Business Adminstration, King Fahd Petroleum & Mineral Resources

-B.E. : Mechanical Engineering , Texas A&M University, USA

pix: arabnews.com

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Saudi Arabia

First Arab Musician to be Featured on Times Square Billboard in New York : Amr Diab – Egypt : 2019

Amr Diab (aka) El Hadaba . Musician. Actor.

One of the top selling Arab music recording artists.

Awards :

-7 – World Music Awards / 6 – African Music Awards / many more etc.

-The First Arab singer to receive the largest number of International Music Awards for most album sales in the Middle East . Guinness World Record – 2016

-Inducted into ‘Dubai Star Walk of Fame’ – 2019

-First Arab Musician to be featured by Spotify on a Times Square Billboard in New York – 2019

-Will feature in upcoming Netflix Arabic series for Middle East and North Africa, after his 27-year hiatus from acting.

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pix: musicinafrica.net

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Egypt

World’s 5th Largest Lake Island – Ukerewe Island : Tanzania

Ukerewe Island in Tanzania is the largest Island in Lake Victoria.

It is also the Largest Lake Island in Africa.

It is also the 5th Largest Lake Island in the World with an area of 530 km2 (200 sq ml).

pix : safarijunkie.com

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Tanzania

World’s Tallest Indoor Artificial Climbing Wall – Abu Dhabi, UAE : August 2020

The World’s tallest indoor artificial climbing wall is at a staggering 42.16 m (138 ft).

It is one of 2 world records of CLYMB Abu Dhabi, a sports and leisure attraction on Yas Island.

The other record is of the ‘World’s Biggest Indoor Skydiving Flight Chamber/ Wind Tunnel).

CLYMB Abu Dhabi is awarded for both by Guinness World Records.

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Climber Sasha DiGiulian scales the world’s tallest indoor climbing wall at Clymb Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National / pix: thenational.ae

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Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E)