Arabs & Arabian Records Aggregator. Chronicler. Milestones of the 25 Countries of the Arabic Speaking World (official / co-official). AGCC. MENA. Global. Ist's to Top 10's. Records. Read & Enjoy./ www.arabianrecords.org
Counsellor Talal Ibrahim Al Absi, Diplomat with the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Kingdom, has been elected President of the Young Diplomats in London (YDL).
According to the Bahrain News Agency, Counsellor Al Absi’s election marks the first time a GCC diplomat has held the presidency of the association since it was founded 17 years ago.
The association was established in 2008 to enhance ties between young members of diplomatic missions and international organisations accredited to the UK by organising cultural and social events, promoting understanding between peoples, and helping new diplomats integrate into the UK political, social and cultural scene.
Algerian national team has won the title of the 24th Arab Athletics championships, wrapped up Sunday evening at the Miloud Hadefi Olympic Stadium in Oran (432-km west of Algiers), after collecting a total of 53 medals (18 gold, 17 silver and 18 bronze).
On the first day of the competition, the Algerian athletes won the majority of events, outclassing their opponents all along the championship.
On Sunday, Algerian athletes clinched 16 medals (7 gold, 4 silver 5 bronze), namely Ouanis Chaima (400m hurdles), Chentif Haithem (800m), Hocine Tarek (long jump), Ramdani Ouarchi (5000m) and the men’s and women’s 4 x 400m relay.
The silver medals went to Karkas Wissal (triple jump), Reffas Abid (women’s 1500m), Lamraoui Louai (men’s long jump), Boudjeltia Zakaria (5000m).
The bronze medals were won by Benkaci Manel (women’s 200m), Houma Sarah (women’s 400m hurdles), Ouaba Leiticia (women’s triple jump), Benyache Adem (men’s 200m) and Boukhamouche Saber (men’s 400m hurdles).
UNESCO has officially added 26 new cultural and natural sites in Yemen to its World Heritage Tentative List, marking a historic expansion that underscores the country’s enduring legacy as a cradle of ancient civilizations.
The newly listed sites span a wide geographic and historical spectrum—from the ancient cities of Ma’in and Tarim to the incense trade routes and biodiversity reserves in Hadhramaut. This brings Yemen’s total tentative entries to 35, reflecting its rich tapestry of archaeological landmarks, architectural marvels, and ecological treasures.
The nomination process was led by Yemen’s Permanent Delegation to UNESCO in collaboration with regional heritage organizations and a team of Yemeni experts. Despite the country’s ongoing humanitarian and political challenges, the effort signals a renewed commitment to preserving and promoting Yemen’s cultural identity on the global stage.
Mohammed Jumaih, Yemen’s representative to UNESCO, hailed the achievement as “a significant gain for Yemen’s heritage protection,” emphasizing that the recognition affirms the country’s historical depth and its contributions to human civilization.
From the towering mudbrick structures of Shibam Kawkaban to the ancient water systems of the Himyarite Kingdom, each site tells a story of innovation, resilience, and cultural exchange. The inclusion of these landmarks not only enhances global awareness of Yemen’s heritage but also opens doors for future conservation and tourism initiatives.
This milestone serves as a powerful reminder that, even amid adversity, Yemen’s legacy as a beacon of history and culture continues to shine.
As one of the Gulf countries, Iraq provided the setting for the final chapter of the five-part series Tribes of Arabia.
Produced by Kia Middle East and Africa, the series traced a journey across the Gulf, beginning in the United Arab Emirates, continuing through Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and concluding in Basra and the Al-Ahwar wetlands.
The final episode features Eisa Alhabib of Kuwait and Abdulaziz Alfudhili of Saudi Arabia, who drove the beige Kia Tasman through Basra’s historic markets and along its waterways before entering the marshes.
The content influencers were introduced to the Marsh Arabs, also known as the Ma’dan people, whose way of life has been shaped for centuries by the wetlands.
Alhabib and Alfudhili stepped inside a traditional Mudhif, an arched structure built from reeds and rushes harvested from the marshes, and enjoyed Iraq’s popular Masqoof fish, prepared in the traditional riverside style.
By closing in Iraq, the series reinforced the country’s role within the Gulf region while celebrating the heritage of the Marsh Arabs and the ecological significance of the southern wetlands.
A year that started with a sporting success in the form of an Asian Cup win at home ended in mixed results.
Titles, goodbyes, the highs and low: 2024 was anything but a boring year for Qatari sports as the country continued hosting mega events, yet similarly took a few stumbles on the pitch.
While the likes of Mutaz Barshim and Akram Afif dominated the headlines with their glories, the other side saw Qatari sides struggle to keep up their good form, whether in World Cup qualification or the Olympics.
Let’s take a look at some of the standout themes that defined Qatar’s 2024.
Barshim bags bronze in Paris Olympics 2024
Mutaz Barshim defied odds once again to win bronze at the Men’s high jump event, securing Qatar’s only medal of the Paris Olympics 2024.
While it was an underwhelming campaign for the Qatari contingent that had defied expectations to clinch two golds in Tokyo, Barshim’s win became a highlight. It was his fourth Olympic medal — a fitting end to a tournament that the high jumper had termed to be his last before the trip to Paris.
However, the 33-year-old multiple-time world champion hinted at the possibility of competing in the next Olympics, upon his return to Doha. “Never say never,” he said, in an exclusive chat with Doha News.
“Sporting DNA : Mutaz Barshim keeps raising the bar and it all starts with his family
The year 2024 was also Aspire Academy’s 20th anniversary, which the country’s premier athletic scouting and training centre celebrated in style, hosting multiple seminars and events, such as the Aspire Global Summit as well as giving home to FIFA’s The Best Football Awards during its Gala Dinner in December.
Asian Cup triumph, Al-Haydos’ farewell and Afif’s ascent
The year ends in uncertainty for Qatar just like it started for Qatari football.
However, there were significant achievements in between. Much like the sport itself, it was a game of two halves for Qatari football — a perfect first half, followed by a tough second.
Qatar hosted and ultimately defended the Asian Cup crown in February as Akram Afif became the difference maker yet again. The tournament drew record attendance number as well as record engagement figures, underscoring yet another successful tournament in Qatar.
Al Annabi’s longstanding two-time Asian Cup-winning captain Hassan Al-Haydos retired from international football after the tournament, putting an end to the most capped Qatari career ever.
Qatar continued their good run under Bartolome Marquez Lopez at the World Cup Qualifiers thereafter, ending the second round unbeaten. The AFC U-23 Asian Cup was also hosted by the country in between, where Japan were crowned the champions.
It started going downhill with the loss against UAE at home with the start of the third round of the Asian Qualifiers to the FIFA World Cup 2026. While Afif clinched his second AFC Player of the Year title, Qatar’s hopes of making it to the tournament in North America hangs in balance with just two wins and three losses from the first six games. The team also crashed out of the group stages of the Arabian Gulf Cup following two draws and a defeat.
In the meantime, Qatar also hosted two of the Palestine national team’s qualifying games, the former of which in June saw Al Fida’i make it to the last round of World Cup Qualifiers for the first time in history with a 0-0 draw against Lebanon. Similarly, the Qatar U-20 team seamlessly qualified, at home, for the U-20 Asian Cup to be held in Saudi Arabia next year.
Qatar was also the home to FIFA’s new club competition, the Intercontinental Cup, which saw European champions Real Madrid win in Lusail Stadium. The Stadium 974 was put to use for the first time since the 2022 World Cup for two of the tournament’s matches.
A good year for racket sports
The Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex was a busy venue this year as it hosted multiple tournaments throughout the year, including the Qatar Open tennis event in February, the QTerminals Qatar Classic Squash event in September and October, followed by the World Padel Championship in November.
Russian player Karen Kachanov won the men’s Qatar Exxonmobil Open, while Polish Iga Swiatek claimed the women’s event held in February. Qatar Exxonmobil Open will now return as an ATP 500 event and was also voted the best ATP 250 event on calendar for 2024.
The QTerminals Qatar Classic saw Diego Elias and Nour Al-Sherbini come out on top of the men’s and women’s events, marking a thrilling end to the squash event.
Argentina’s men’s team and Spain’s women’s team maintained their dominance by lifting the World Championship in Padel, which saw some of the world’s finest compete in Doha.
Qatar’s squash ace Abdullah Al-Tamimi capped the year off in style, winning the Cape Town Squash Open 2024 his first title away from Qatar since 2022.
Glory in motorsports and skydiving
Qatar won four gold medals at the World Air Sports Federation (FAI)’s World Championships which was hosted by Czechia’s Prostejov in the first week of September.
Qatar won three golds in events across the Canopy Formation category and bagged solitary gold in male Style and Accuracy landing in the six-day tournament.
It was yet another year of glory for Qatari rally driver Nasser Al-Attiyah, who clinched his third FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (WR2C) in October after winning the 2024 Rallye du Maroc with his French co-driver Edouard Boulanger for the Dacia Sandriders.
Al-Attiyah’s decorated racing career now boasts seven Rallye Du Maroc titles, in addition to five wins in the Dakar Rally and 13 Middle East Rally wins.
What also stood out, however, was Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari’s victory in the Middle East Rally Championship as well as the Qatar Motor & Motorcycle Federation’s triumph in the Baja Middle East Teams Championship — all of whom were awarded in December at the annual FIA Awards.
Qatar also hosted the pinnacle of motorbike and motor racing, the MotoGP and the F1 Grand Prix – the latter of which saw record-breaking attendance at the Lusail International Circuit.
Defending champion Francesco Bagnaia won the MotoGP event held in March, whereas Max Verstappen rose against the odds to win his second Qatar Grand Prix on December 1, despite starting away from the front of the grid.
Senior scholars and thousands of male and female memorizers of the Holy Qur’an from ASEAN countries attended the event
Forum was dedicated to examining the challenges associated with the authentication of Qur’anic ijazahs and to propose effective solutions
The International Forum for the Authentication of Qur’anic Ijazah and Honoring ASEAN Qur’an Reciters has concluded in Kuala Lumpur.
A Qur’anic ijazah is a certificate given by a qualified teacher to a student, attesting that the student has memorized the Quran with the correct rules and pronunciation. Ijazahs for correct recitation, without memorization, can also be issued.
Each ijazah lists the continuous chain of transmission from the holder back to the imams of Qur’anic recitation. This makes it easy to identify every teacher in the chain and the shorter the chain, the stronger the ijazah.
As part of the forum, senior Qur’an reciters from countries that are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and who have been granted an ijazah with the continuous chain of transmission, were honored in recognition of their efforts in serving and teaching the Holy Qur’an.
Senior scholars and thousands of male and female memorizers of the Holy Qur’an from ASEAN countries attended the event.
The forum, organized by the Muslim World League, was dedicated to examining the challenges associated with the authentication of Qur’anic ijazahs and to propose effective solutions.
It sought to prevent the uncontrolled granting of ijazahs to those who lack proper mastery, in order to uphold the quality of Qur’anic recitation and teaching, and to serve the Holy Qur’an, the MWL said.
It also aimed to strengthen collaboration among specialized institutions, facilitate the exchange of expertise, and unify efforts.
The secretary-general of the MWL Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, who presided over the forum, witnessed the honoring of a number of prominent Qur’an reciters from ASEAN countries, in recognition of their role in spreading and teaching the holy book, and their contributions to building generations of Quranic reciters.
He also witnessed the graduation of a new group of male and female memorizers who obtained a Qur’anic ijazah through the MWL’s Global Technical Recitation Center.
A group of students from the Institute of Quran Memorization and Recitation at the Islamic Foundation in Malaysia, affiliated with the Muslim World League, also graduated at the forum.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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The International Forum for the Authentication of Qur’anic Ijazah and Honoring ASEAN Qur’an Reciters took place in Kuala Lumpur. (MWL)
Film received partial funding from Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Fund, Qatar-based Katara Studios.
Palestinian filmmaker and writer Annemarie Jacir’s “Palestine 36” has been selected as Palestine’s official submission for the Oscars’ international feature film category.
Set in 1930s Palestine, the drama explores the lives of individuals during the uprising against British colonial rule. Against a backdrop of sweeping change, the film delves into themes of identity, resistance and transformation.
The story follows Yusuf (Karim Daoud Anaya), a young man caught between his rural village and the rapidly changing city of Jerusalem; Afra (Wardi Eilabouni), a girl navigating an uncertain world with the guidance of her grandmother (Hiam Abbass); and a port worker (Saleh Bakri), who finds himself drawn into an emerging uprising. A British official, portrayed by Oscar-winner Jeremy Irons, attempts to maintain order as tensions rise.
The cast also features “Game of Thrones” star Liam Cunningham, Tunisian actor Dhafer L’Abidine, and Palestinian talents Yasmine Al-Massri and Kamel El-Basha.
“Palestine 36” was selected as Palestine’s Oscar entry by an independent committee of Palestinian film professionals in a move officially confirmed by the Palestinian Ministry of Culture.
The film received partial funding from Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Fund, and Qatar-based Katara Studios. Watermelon Pictures has acquired distribution rights to the film.
Featuring rare archival footage of 1930s Palestine, “Palestine 36” is set to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 5, where it will become the first Arab film to screen in the festival’s prestigious Gala section.
Jacir, who has been working on “Palestine 36” since before the pandemic, is known for her focus on Palestinian narratives. Her previous films include “Salt of This Sea” (2008), “When I Saw You” (2012), and “Wajib” (2017), all of which received critical acclaim and represented Palestine at the Academy Awards. “Palestine 36” is her fourth film to be submitted by Palestine for Oscar consideration.
It is the 18th film to be submitted by Palestine since it began participating in the international feature category. To date, the country has received two nominations in the category, both for films directed by Hany Abu-Assad: “Paradise Now” in 2006 and “Omar” in 2014.
The Oscars’ international feature shortlist will be announced on Dec. 16, with final nominations revealed on Jan. 22.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Set in 1930s Palestine, the drama explores the lives of individuals during the uprising against British colonial rule. (Supplied)
The Center for Applied Innovation and Baheya Foundation have launched the first AI-powered breast cancer detection system in Egypt and the Middle East, now operational at Baheya hospitals.
The Center for Applied Innovation and the Baheya Foundation have launched the first locally developed AI system for the early detection of breast cancer in Egypt and the Middle East. The system debuted this August at Baheya Hospital in Sheikh Zayed, where it is already assisting doctors in analysing mammogram images.
The technology can scan and identify abnormalities in seconds, classifying them as malignant or benign. It is powered by a database of over 60,000 mammogram images, categorised by type, location, shape, density, and diagnostic confidence. The AI engine has already achieved an accuracy rate of 90%, according to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
The system is currently in use at Baheya’s Haram and Sheikh Zayed branches, with plans to expand across more hospitals nationwide as development continues.
Four-vessel project off Mexico’s west coast opens a new LNG corridor, boosting global energy security, and setting new industry standards.
The breakthrough project includes the conversion of two LNG carriers into Floating Storage Units (FSUs) and the construction of two newbuild FLNG barges at Drydocks World’s yard in Dubai. Once operational in the second half of 2028, the four-vessel facility will provide more than 4.2 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of liquefaction capacity, surpassing any existing floating LNG development worldwide.
AMIGO LNG is a joint venture between Texas-based Epcilon LNG LLC and Singapore-based LNG Alliance Pte Ltd.
Located off Guaymas, Sonora on Mexico’s west coast and supplied with natural gas from the US Permian Basin, the facility will expand Mexico’s role in global energy supply by enabling direct LNG exports to meet growing demand in Asia and Latin America. Its strategic location shortens shipping distances to Asia compared with US Gulf terminals, cutting costs and emissions while opening a new LNG corridor at a critical time for global energy security.
Capt. Rado Antolovic, PhD, CEO, Drydocks World, said: “This contract represents a major milestone for Drydocks World and Dubai. With our expertise in complex offshore conversions and large-scale new builds, we are setting new global benchmarks for floating LNG solutions. At the same time, this project reinforces Dubai’s position as a hub for advanced maritime engineering that powers global trade and the energy transition.
The EPC project will be executed using a modular build strategy, enabling precision fabrication, seamless system integration and pre-commissioning in a controlled environment. This approach ensures rigorous quality assurance, shorter delivery schedules, reduced environmental impact, and reliable long-term performance.
Dr. Muthu Chezhian, CEO of LNG Alliance Pte Ltd. , said: “By partnering with Drydocks World on the world’s largest FLNG facility, we are securing best-in-class quality, exceptional production capacity, and reliable long-term performance of this critical asset. We are also harnessing the key advantages of FLNG solutions — from faster project schedules to rigorous testing and seamless pre-commissioning in a controlled fabrication yard environment, as well as the substantial environmental benefits this approach delivers.”
Drydocks World has completed more than 10 major LNG and FSRU conversion projects.
Fair was organized by the Muslim World League in cooperation with the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites
Prince Saud bin Mishaal toured the diverse pavilions and exhibitions, which offer visitors an educational experience on the life of Prophet Muhammad and Islamic civilization
Makkah Deputy Gov. Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz recently inaugurated the International Fair and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization at the city’s Clock Towers.
The fair was organized by the Muslim World League in cooperation with the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Prince Saud toured the diverse pavilions and exhibitions, which offer visitors an educational experience on the life of Prophet Muhammad and Islamic civilization, using advanced visual and digital technologies.
The fair features a pavilion titled “The Prophet as if You Were with Him,” depicting scenes from Makkah, Madinah, and the migration route.
It includes a panoramic display of the prophet’s chamber, pavilion on prophetic medicine, and presentation of his daily routine.
Prince Saud was also briefed on the accompanying digital platform, which includes a library and encyclopedias translated into major world languages.
He also visited the permanent exhibition showcasing the Kingdom’s efforts to serve the Two Holy Mosques, Qur’an, and Sunnah.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Makkah Deputy Gov. Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz inaugurated the International Fair and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization at the city’s Clock Towers. (SPA)
