Category: TOP 10 in MENA

World’s First Airbus A330-800 Delivered to Kuwait Airways on October 29th, 2020

Kuwait Airways, the national airline of Kuwait took delivery of the world’s first Airbus A330-800 aircraft on October 29th, 2020.

The two aircraft the airline received are the first of eight scheduled to join the Kuwait Airways fleet, which will position it as the world’s largest operator of the type.

The Kuwait Airways aircraft A330-800 will acommodate 235 passenger, featuring 32 fully flat beds in Business Class and 203 spacious seats in Economy with a large capacity cargo hold.

________________

Kuwait Airways A330-800 lifting off on its delivery flight. (Photo: Airbus) / airlinegeeks.com

__________

KUWAIT

World’s Largest Wooden Dhow ‘Obaid’. Built in Dubai (U.A.E) – October 2020

‘Obaid’ built in Dubai, is named after the Emirati shipbuilder Obaid Jumaa bin Majid Al-Falasi. It has been certified by Guinness Book of World Records as the ‘World’s largest wooden Arabic Dhow’.

For the record the late Emirati shipbuilder Obaid Juma started his apprenticeship in the1940’s at the age of nine (9).

The dhow measured 91 meters long and more than 20 meters wide. The vessel is 11.22 meters high and weighs 2,500 tonnes. The ‘Obaid’ is powered by two 1,850 horsepower engines and built for speed of 14 knots . Built from approximately 1,700 tonnes of wood and 800 tonnes of steel and is scheduled to carry cargo.

This record breaking marvel is a handmade boat, built in a country with no forests. A modern adaptation is adding steel to the wooden structure.

The ship builder is Majid Obaid Al-Falasi the Managing Director of Majid Obaid Bin Majid Al Falasi & Sons, UAE.

_________________

pix: arabnews.com

___________________________________________

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

World’s Largest Fountain – The Palm Fountain, Dubai (UAE) – October 23rd, 2020

The Palm Fountain at The Pointe, the Palm Jumeirah broke the record for the World’s largest fountain.

The Palm Fountain measures 7,327 sq. metres and spreads 14,000 sq. feet of sea water equipped with shooters capable of blasting water 105 metres into the air and features 3,000 LED lights in multiple colours.

Certified by Guinness World Records.

______________

pix: mediaoffice.ae

_________________________________________

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE)

World’s Largest Coffee Painting , by Saudi Female Artist Ohud Abdullah Almalki : October 2020

Ohud Abdullah Almalki . Jeddah based Artist.

Ohud Almalki is the first Saudi Woman Artist to single-handedly break a Guinness World Record for the Worlds Largest Coffee Painting.

She illustrated the founding fathers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The late King Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman and Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

The project was an uninterrupted 45 days of illustration and painting under continuous supervision.

The artwork was created on a canvas of 7 connected cloths called Naseej I (meaning woven to-gether) in 220 sq. meters, 15.84 m long and 13.95 m wide. She used 4 different shades of brown coffee, approximately 4.5 kg of expired coffee granules with water.

The edge was done in typical Bedouin decoration style known as Al-Sadu.

_____________

The world’s largest coffee painting by Saudi artist Ohud Abdullah Almalki depicting founding fathers of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the late King Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman (R) and the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, in Jeddah | AFP /GUINESS WORLD RECORDS / pix: theweek.in

________________

SAUDI ARABIA

Greatest Distance on a Motocross Bike in 24 Hours (1 day) : Ali Abdo Ali : June 2017

Ail Abdo Ali . Adventurer. Long Distance Motor Cycle Rider. Entrepreneur.

Ali Abdo Ali broke the previous world record for the greatest distance on a motocross bike in 24 hours (or 1 day), by an indivdual – by reaching 613.km (381.2 miles) mark.

Certified by Guinness World Records.

First Arab to achieve a world record on a motorcycle.

2nd Record held by him:

-Largest distance travelled in Egypt by motorcycle in 7 days – January 15th, 2016 , He travelled 5,864 km on his motorcycle across Egypt in 7 days.

Founder : Around Egypt on a motorcycle

Ambassador of ‘ No Place like Egypt’

www.aliabdo.net

________________

pix: cairoscene.com

________

EGYPT

World’s Largest Oasis ‘Al Ahsa Oasis’ : Saudi Arabia : October 2020

Al Ahsa Oasis in now certified by Guinness World Records as the Planet’s largest self-contained Oasis.

Al Ahsa Oasis has also the largest date-palm oasis surrounded by sand in the world.

It has also a UNESCO designated status as a World Heritage site. Over 6,000 years old. It has many National Heritage Sites, as well as Human Settlements dating back to thousands of years.

Al Ahsa Oasis stretches across 85.4 sq.km . Irrigated by more than 280 springs of hot, warm and cold water.

Annual Al Ahsa Date Festival conducted here. Well known for its ‘Khalsah Dates‘.

_______________

It includes over 2.5 million date palms watered by a network of over 280 artesian springs / pix: gulfbusiness.com

_________________

SAUDI ARABIA

Fadi Ghandour. Business Leader. Jordan

Fadi Ghandour. Business Leader. Entrepreneur. Philanthropist.

-Co-Founder : Aramex . The Middle East’s First courier company with operations beginning from Jordan, 1982. First Arab company to be listed on Nasdaq Stock Exchange.

-Co-Founder or Maktoob.com, later acquired by Yahoo! for USD 85 million dollars (2010).

-Executive Chairman – Wamda Ventures

-Managing Partner – MENA Venture Investments

Non-Profit:

  • Founder and Chairman – Ruwwad. Focus on Child Development, Youth Organising and Community Support.

_______________

pix: commons.wikimedia.org / Rawan Khawaldeh

______________________

JORDAN – LEBANON

Ahmad Abughaush Creates Jordanian History. Wins First Ever Olympic Medal (Gold) for Jordan . First Arab Athlete Olympian to Win Taekwondo : Rio Olympics 2016

Ahmad Abughaush. Taekwondo Athlete.

Jordan’s first-ever athlete to win the country’s first Olympic medal – a Gold medal. Ahmad Abughaush defeated 3-London Olympic 2012 Olympic medallists to win the gold at the Rio Olympics, Rio de Janeiro 2016.

First Taekwando athlete in the Arab world to win Gold in Taekwando.

Awards:

-2019 -World Championships, Manchester – Silver

– 2018 – Asian Games, Jakarta – Bronze

– 2017 -Universiade, Taipei – Bronze // Grand Prix, London – Gold // Grand Prix, Moscow – Bronze // World Championships, Muji – Bronze

– 2016 – Olympics, Rio de Janeiro – Gold

– 2012 – Best Jordanian Athlete Award – by Jordan Olympic Committee – Gold

– 2010 – Taekwondo World Championship for Juniors , Sharm-el-Sheik, Egypt – Gold

___________

Ahmad Abughaush by Salem Khames the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, in the men’s 68 kg / en.wikipedia.org

_______________________

JORDAN / PALESTINE

Fahad Badar – First Arab Male to Double Summit in a Single Expedition : Qatar 2019

Fahad Badar. Business Leader. Adventurer. High Altitude Climber. Mountaineer.

Business Leader : Executive General Manager, Chief – International Banking – Commercial Bank of Qatar-

Some Records:

  • 2019 -Fahad Badar made history by becoming the first Arab male to double summit both Mount Everest and Lhotse in a single expedition.
  • 2020 – Climbed the highest mountain in the Antartic, Mount Vinson at 4,892m, reaching the summit on January 02nd, 2020. The expedition included 2 guides and 9 team members.

Education:

-MBA : Durham University, U.K.

www.fahadbadar.com

____________________

pix: thepeninsulaqatar.com

__________

QATAR

Hadi Souan , Athlete – Wins First ever Olympic Medal for Saudi Arabia : September 2000

Hadi Souan (aka) Hadi Soua’an Al-Somaily wins a Silver medal in 400m hurdles and brings Saudi Arabia’s First Olympic Medal Victory – 2000 Summer Olympics, Sydney, Australia.

He has won over 40 medals. Some of them are:

Records:

  • 2005 – Gold Medal – 400 m hurdles -Asian Championship, Incheon, South Korea
  • 2005 – Silver Medal – 400 m hurdles – Islamic Solidarity Games, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
  • 2005- Gold Medal – 4 x 400 m relay – Islamic Solidarity Games, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
  • 2004- Gold Medal – 400m hurdles – Pan Arab Games, Algiers, Algeria
  • 2004- Gold Medal – 4 x 400m relay – Pan Arab Games, Algiers, Algeria
  • 2002 – Gold Medal – 400m hurdles – West Asian Games, Kuwait
  • 2002 – Gold Medal – 400m hurdles – Asian Games, Busan, South Korea
  • 2002 -Gold Medal – 4 x 400m relay – Asian Games, Busan, South Korea
  • 2001 – Copper Medal – 400m hurdles – Goodwill Games, Brisbane, Australia
  • 2000 -Silver Medal – 400m hurdles – Summer Olympics, Sydney, Australia
  • 2000 – Gold Medal – 400m hurdles – Asian Championship, Jakarta, Indonesia
  • 2000- Copper Medal – 4 x 400m relay – Asian Championship, Jakarta, Indonesia
  • 1999- Gold Medal – 400m hurdles – Pan Arab Games, Amman, Jordan

Positions / Honours:

-Board member – Saudi Arabian Athletic Federation (SAAF) / -Board Member – Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee (SAOC) Assembly / -Member, Olympic Council of Asian Athletic Commission / -Member – Saudi Sports Arbitration Centre / – Member -International Relations Committee, Saudi Arabia Olympic Committee (SAOC) etc.

_______________

Hadi Souan has Saudi national pride soaring high after winning the 400m hurdles silver medal at the Sydney Olympics. (Supplied) / arabnews.com

________________

SAUDI ARABIA