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Saudi Space Agency awards 10 winners in arts, botany, engineering.
The Saudi Space Agency wrapped up its Space Madak competition on Tuesday by awarding 10 winning contestants prizes for their arts, botany and engineering projects.
Hailing from seven Arab countries, the winners were revealed at a ceremony hosted by the agency at the Communications, Space and Technology Commission headquarters in Riyadh.
The event marked the first anniversary of Saudi Arabia’s “Journey to Space” mission and was attended by the agency’s CEO Mohammed Al-Tamimi, officials, experts, and ambassadors from the winning students’ countries.
The competition, engaging ambitious Arab students, showcased their enthusiasm for space exploration and skills development.
The panel of judges comprised scientists, experts and space enthusiasts.
Following rigorous evaluation rounds, the top 10 contenders were chosen for their exceptional contributions.
In the arts category, winners included Yamen Al-Zaabi from Jordan, Preeti Sami from Egypt, Jawaher Farhan from Bahrain, Rafqa Mansour from Lebanon, and Aline Al-Issa from Saudi Arabia.
Sadan Al-Dosari from Saudi Arabia, Hooriya Basheikh from Morocco, and Fatima Al-Khabouriah from Oman won in the botany category.
Engineering-category winners were Abdulrahman Qattan from Saudi Arabia and Yara Reda from Syria.
The ceremony celebrated the winners and acknowledged the creative endeavors of more than 50 finalists, chosen from a pool of 80,000 submissions vying for prizes totaling SR500,000 ($133,320).
The winning projects will be showcased on the International Space Station, offering an opportunity to advance research, development, and innovation in space exploration while enriching Arab contributions in this field.
The competition represents a significant milestone in the Saudi Space Agency’s mission to support research, development, and innovation within the domain of space exploration.
With a focus on nurturing creative thinking among Arab students, the initiative aims to ignite curiosity about space and inspire breakthroughs in this burgeoning field.
The space mission, carried out by astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al-Qarni, included 14 pioneering scientific experiments.
According to a press release issued by the agency, the mission was a part of the “Saudi Toward Space” program, aligning with the Kingdom’s focus on research, development and innovation driven by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Al-Tamimi praised the achievements of the SSA-HSF1, or Saudi Space Agency-Human Space Flight 1, mission. This was a major milestone in the Kingdom’s journey toward leadership in the space sector.
He said there were 14 research experiments conducted in microgravity, yielding valuable contributions to research, development and innovation.
Al-Tamimi said the mission helped foster national expertise and enhance cooperation with leading international institutions.
He added that the agency remained committed to supporting innovative projects.
source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)
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Above, Saudi astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi, the first Arab woman to orbit Earth. (SPA)13
At the helm of Hormuud Telecom for two decades, this month Yusuf scooped two prestigious, international CEO of the year awards, putting Hormuud Telecom and the Somalia firmly on the world map.
Ahmed Yusuf’s journey is inspirational. When Ahmed joined the company, Somalia was recovering its most tumultuous period, where financial and telecommunications infrastructure were all but destroyed in the civil war.
Twenty years later, through Ahmed’s dedication and entrepreneurial drive, Somalia has become one of the most promising countries for digital transformation in Africa.
Ahmed’s achievements as CEO have unlocked economic growth and kickstarted the country’s digital economy. He re-established 2G services in 2011, before going on to introduce 3 and 4G, and fibre optic cables — a first for Somalia.
Under his leadership, Hormuud launched a EVC plus, a mobile money platform now used by over two thirds of the population. Its boosted financial inclusion for women and rural communities and spurred entrepreneurial activities up and down the nation.
Understanding the gaps in the reach of humanitarian aid, he led the launch of Hormuud’s innovative portal for INGOs. This has enabled them to reach Somalia’s last-mile communities with traceable, secure cash aid, regardless of location.
From the beginning, Ahmed’s vision for Hormuud was clear: connect Somalis with the world and each other. Ahmed’s wins show Somalia’s presence is restored on the global stage.
The first award was won in Cape Town where he was joined by industry leaders from Orange Egypt and Vodacom. The second was won in Amsterdam where he was up against industry giants Deutche Telecom and Colt.
Ahmed’s successes show our telecoms sector stands out on the world’s stage, and Somalia’s journey forward will be propelled by its digital economy.
We could not be prouder of his achievements, and his ongoing dedication to Somalia and Somali people.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has struck a share purchase agreement to buy a 10% stake in TOPCO, the holding company of Heathrow Airport Holdings Ltd, from Ferrovial.
Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund is to buy ten percent of London’s Heathrow airport from Spanish infrastructure giant Ferrovial, whose departure from the hub after almost two decades leaves Qatar as its biggest shareholder.
Ferrovial late Tuesday said it was offloading its 25 percent stake for nearly £2.4 billion ($3.0 billion), with the other 15 percent going to French private equity group Ardian.
Heathrow, which is one of the world’s busiest airports, is owned by the consortium FGP Topco Limited, which going forward is set to be led by Qatar Investment Authority, with an existing 20-percent stake.
Ardian will be the second biggest player, while Riyadh’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) will join China Investment Corporation at ten percent, around the level held by other members of the consortium.
It is yet to be seen if the UK government will intervene in the sale.
Last week, the Conservative administration headed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said it was “minded” to review the proposed sale of the Telegraph Media Group to an Abu Dhabi-backed investment fund on public interest grounds.
Announcing Ferrovial’s exit, the head of its airport business, Luke Bugeja, said in a statement:
“Over the last 17 years, we have been contributing to Heathrow’s transformation, together with our fellow shareholders, achieving some excellent milestones throughout our long-term role as investor.
Saudi Arabia has won the right to host World Expo 2030, which is set to take place from October 2030 to March 2031 on the theme “The Era of Change: Together for a Foresighted Tomorrow,” according to the Saudi bid.https://t.co/IAjb7qa9mw — The New Arab (@The_NewArab) November 29, 2023
“We are very pleased to have made Heathrow one of the world’s most connected airports and the busiest airport in Europe.”
The specialist in transport infrastructure management operates a vast portfolio of global assets, including airport interests in Turkey and New York. Heathrow was not seen as a core asset by Ferrovial.
It bought its stake in Heathrow in a 2006 takeover and initially held 56 percent of the hub, before gradually reducing its interest.
Heathrow recently said it recorded its highest-ever September passenger numbers of more than seven million, which also marked the first time it exceeded pre-pandemic traffic figures.
Ferrovial said it remains “fully committed to advancing its airport business”, which includes a 50-percent stake in three other UK hubs — Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton.
It owns also 60 percent of Turkey’s Dalaman Airport and a 49-percent stake in the new Terminal 1 at JFK Airport in New York.
This summer, the firm angered Spain’s government by relocating its headquarters to the Netherlands in a decision it said would give it access to cheaper credit and make it more attractive to investors ahead of a planned US stock listing.
source/content: newarab.com (headline edited)
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Saudi Arabia’s PIF to buy 10% stake in Heathrow airport holding company [Getty]
Scientists from the University of Sharjah and the Warburg Institute are poring over the writings of an 11th century Arab-Muslim polymath to demonstrate their impact on the development of optical sciences and how they have fundamentally transformed the history of physics from the Middle Ages up to modern times in Europe.
Their research focuses on the legacy of al-Ḥasan Ibn al-Haytham known in Latin as “Alhazen” and particularly his most influential work titled Book of Optics, reputed in Arabic as Kitab al-Manazir and first circulated in Europe via its Latin translation dubbed ‘Perspectiva’. Ibn al-Haytham was born in the southern Iraqi city of Basra in 965 during the Abbasid Caliphate.
The divisions IV-V of this authoritative book have been recently translated into English from Arabic and published by the Warburg Institute under the title “The Optics of Ibn al-Haytham, Books IV–V: On Reflection and Images Seen by Reflection”. Having already rendered divisions I-III into English, the Warburg Institute is bringing together a wide-ranging network of scientists “for a collaborative humanities-science investigation of [Ibn] al-Haytham and the questions his work provokes.
“The role of Alhazen [Ibn al-Haytham] in these processes is simultaneously well-known, but limited; only half of his scientific works have English translation and a quarter are not yet edited.”
Introducing the new translation, the Warburg Institute describes Ibn al-Haytham as “perhaps the greatest mathematician and physicist of the medieval Arabic/Islamic world. His reputation is based not only on the vast amount of material he was able to process, but also on his rigorous scientific methodology.
“He (Ibn al-Haytham) deals with both the mathematics of rays of light and the physical aspects of the eye in seven comprehensive books. His reinstatement of the entire science of optics sets the scene for the whole of the subsequent development of the subject … influencing figures such as William of Ockham, Kepler, Descartes, and Christaan Huygens.”
Professor Nader El-Bizri of Sharjah University’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences has just published an academic review of the Warburg Institute’s translation of Ibn al-Haytham. The article, printed in theInternational Journal of the Classical Tradition, highlights the strong influence the Arab-Muslim optical scientist has exerted over the ages up to the present day.
Ibn al-Haytham’s Book of Optics, Prof. El-Bizri writes, “constituted a monumental foundational opus in the history of science and the visual arts from the Middle Ages to the early modern period in the European milieu and the Islamicate context … The reception of Ibn al-Haytham’s Optics in the European milieu took place from the High Middle Ages via Gerard of Cremona’s Toledo circle in terms of its Latinate translations, and subsequent influence on Franciscan, Dominican, and Jesuit opticians across Europe.
“It influenced François d’Aguilon’s Opticorum libri sex within the Antwerp Jesuit mathematical school and had a direct impact on Johannes Hevelius’s Selenographia. The Optics was also consulted by Girard Desargues, René Descartes, Johannes Kepler and Christaan Huygens.”
Prof. El-Bizri works closely with the Warburg Institute assisting its attempts to reintroduce Ibn al-Haytham to the west. “A remarkable thinker, not only did Ibn al-Haytham revolutionize optical thought by mathematising its study, [but] his thinking also went on to have similar revolutionary effects in medieval Europe.”
The Warburg Institute is investing in rendering the writings of Ibn al-Haytham on optics into English, which Prof. El-Bizri describes as “voluminous”. “Ibn al-Haytham’s Book of Optics indicates with evidence the impact of Arabic sciences and philosophy on the history of science and the architectural and visual arts in Europe, as well as demonstrating how science and the arts influence each other in the manner the studies of optics in their mathematized physics inspired the invention of projective geometric constructions of perspective as a novel Renaissance method of painting and architectural design.”
Prof. El-Bizri adds “The impact of this book is fundamental not only in the history of science from the High Middle Ages till the early-modern period in Europe, but it was also foundational for architecture and the visual arts in the Italian Renaissance and up till the late Baroque era. Moreover, it has further significance in modern conceptions of the mathematization of physics, the reliance on experimentation in science, and the philosophical analysis of perception.”
Asked about the importance of translating Ibn al-Haytham into English despite the lapse of nearly 1000 years, Prof. El-Bizri says the Arab-Muslim scientist’s theories and methodologies, specifically those dealing with optics are still considered “seminal” in the literature. Ibn al-Haytham has had a “foundational impact on the history of science and the arts in Europe.”
The influence of Ibn al-Haytham’s writings in the European milieu, according to Prof. El-Bizri, cannot be overlooked. The Arab-Muslim scientist had “a notable effect on Biagio Pelacani da Parma’s Questiones super perspectiva communi, Leon Battista Alberti’s De pictura, Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Commentarii, culminating in the first printed Latin version in the publication of Friedrich Risner’s Opticae thesaurus in the sixteenth century.
“Then, in the seventeenth century, it influenced François d’Aguilon’s Opticorum libri sex within the Antwerp Jesuit mathematical school and had a direct impact on Johannes Hevelius’s Selenographia.”.
In the Book of Optics, notes Prof. El-Bizri, Ibn al-Haytham establishes an “inventive and precise scientific experimental method (al-iʿtibār al-muḥarrar) with its controlled verificative repeated testing, as framed by isomorphic compositions between physics and mathematics.”
He adds that Ibn al-Haytham in his Optics “aims at elucidating the nature of visual perception through studies on the anatomy and physiology of the eyes, the optic nerves and the frontal part of the brain, along with cognitive psychology and the analysis of psychosomatic ocular motor kinaesthetic acts”.
JOURNAL / International Journal of the Classical Tradition
The Optics of Ibn al-Haytham, Books IV–V: On Reflection and Images Seen by Reflection, translated from the Arabic by Abdelhamid I. Sabra and prepared for publication by Jan P. Hogendijk (Warburg Institute Studies and Texts, 8), London: University of London Press in association with the Warburg Institute, 2023, pp. xiv+343, ISBN 978-1908590589, £90
source/content: eurekalert.org (headline edited)
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Ibn al-Haytham (“Alhasen”) on the left pedestal of reason with Galileo (IMAGE) / Ibn al-Haytham (“Alhasen”) on the left pedestal of reason [while Galileo is on the right pedestal of the senses] as shown on the frontispiece of the Selenographia (Science of the Moon; 1647) of Johannes HeveliusIbn al-Haytham (“Alhasen”) on the left pedestal of reason [while Galileo is on the right pedestal of the senses] as shown on the frontispiece of the Selenographia (Science of the Moon; 1647) of Johannes Hevelius
The Ritz-Carlton Dubai and Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers both feature as Brazilian boutique takes top spot.
Tripadvisor has named the best hotels to stay in around the world in 2024 and two UAE properties make the cut.
The world’s largest travel guidance platform unveiled its list of winners on Tuesday, and included the Ritz-Carlton Dubai and Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers in its top 20 ranking based on Tripadvisor reviews.
Ritz-Carlton Dubai is one of the emirate’s stalwart properties, having opened in the area that has since become The Walk at Jumeirah Beach Residence in 1998. That was years before Dubai Marina, The Palm Jumeirah and Bluewaters came into existence and the resort was one of the hotel group’s first addresses in the Middle East and North Africa.
From 7,359 reviews, Tripadvisor travellers are most impressed with the luxury hotel’s swimming pools and child-friendly facilities, ranking the hotel as the 17th best in the world.
In the UAE capital, Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers opened in 2001 after taking over the existing site from Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts. The property ranks at number 20 for 2024. The skyscraper was a favourite with 7,674 Tripadvisor reviewers who appreciated its infinity pool and swim-up bar.
The National previously reviewed the Hilton-owned hotel and was impressed by its wow-factor views and impeccable service.
When it comes to the overall best hotel in the world for 2024, the honour goes to Hotel Colline de France, a boutique hotel in Gramado, a mountain resort town in Brazil. The property is known for its personalised service and French elegance, and has ranked in Tripadvisor’s top five for three consecutive years.
In second place is Oblu Select Lobigili, an adults-only escape in the Maldives, while La Siesta Hoi Ann Resort and Spa in Vietnam ranks third.
“Our Best of the Best Hotels are marvels, acclaimed by thousands of travellers for their remarkable service, stunning design and wealth of amenities that redefine what it means to have an exceptional hotel experience,” said Dan Mitchell, vice president and general manager for hotels at Tripadvisor.
Other notable entries in the top 20 list include Chandys Windy Woods in Chithirapuram, India and two properties in Turkey, the Romance Istanbul Hotel and the Voyage Belek Golf And Spa in Belek.
“According to our Tripadvisor reviewers – each of the world’s best hotels caters to the traveller looking for accessible luxury and unique, tailored experiences,” added Mitchell.
Tripadvisor’s top 20 hotels in the world in 2024
Click through the gallery above to see the 20 best hotels in the world
In the US, the number one hotel to check into is the Shore Hotel in Santa Monica, California. Luma Hotel Times Square, a four-star skyscraper in New York City ranks second on the US hit list. Hotel Emma in San Antonio, Texas is the fifth best in the US, but takes the number one spot for luxury hotels across the continent.
New for 2024, Tripadvisor has announced three new award categories including the best pet-friendly, sustainable and wellness hotels. Topping the list for holidays with four-legged friends is Hotel Fioreze Quero Quero. This Brazilian property has over two acres of open space, making it perfect for pups and their owners to explore.
Voco Dubai The Palm just missed out on inclusion in the world’s top 20 pet-friendly hotels, with the Palm West Beach hotel listed at number 21.
Sustainable kudos goes to Banyan Tree hotel group after the Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape in Bali, took the award as the world’s most sustainable hotel. Guests visiting here are impressed by the sustainably grown food and the jungle resort’s natural surroundings.
And the Maldives takes the crown for having the world’s best wellness hotel. The Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa is a tropical sanctuary on the Raa Atoll that’s a favourite with Tripadvisor reviewers thanks to its sprawling wellness centre. It also ranked as the number one all-inclusive hotel in the world in the platform’s 2024 Travellers’ Choice Awards.
The nomination comes after almost two years of smashing taboos and blazing a trail for women journalists in one of the most dangerous countries to report the news, where reporters often face shootings, detention and assault. Somali women journalists also face harassment on the streets, abuse at work and exclusion from jobs and career opportunities, but since 2021, Bilan has faced these challenges head on to bring a new voice and new subjects to Somalia’s media.
“Despite the risks, we believe passionately that women deserve a place at the top of journalism,” said Bilan’s Chief Editor, Fathi Mohamed Ahmed. “We know our work is dangerous, but if we don’t speak out about the issues affecting us, who will and how will things ever change?”
“Bilan’s arrival on the Somali media scene is completely unprecedented,” said UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner. “As well as directly raising important issues for public debate, the quality of their work makes its own case for women playing a key role in media and journalism. This nomination is a recognition of their journalistic talent, commitment and determination.”
Inside Somalia, Bilan’s reports have reached millions via the radio, TV and social media channels of Dalsan Media Group, which hosts Bilan at offices in Mogadishu. Bilan’s reports also appear regularly in international media, including the Guardian, BBC, El País and Toronto Star, raising the profile of Somali women journalists and proving they can compete at the highest levels, even while dealing with challenges that range from discrimination and threats of violence to interviewing high-profile figures with new-born children in tow.
Despite Bilan’s meteoric rise, all of its journalists have faced a difficult road to their current success and their individual stories show how tough it can be for Somali women to make in in journalism. Chief editor Fathi has reported from the scene of terrorist bombings and faced abuse in the streets for going to work while pregnant. Reporter Kiin regularly covers stories about refugees and IDPs but herself grew up in a refugee camp in Kenya. Youngest team member, Shukri faced down intense social disapproval when leaving her home in Baidoa for the first time to work at Bilan in Mogadishu.
“Bilan shows just how baseless traditional stereotypes can be and provides women with a powerful voice for free expression,” said Bilan’s Deputy Chief Editor, Hinda Abdi Mohamoud. “We’ve demonstrated through our work how a group of women journalists can manage a media unit and produce stories that reveal the truth and change lives.”
Index on Censorship’s Freedom of Expression Awards celebrate those who have had significant impact fighting censorship anywhere in the world across four categories: Arts, Campaigning, Journalism and the Trustee award. Winners are honoured at a gala celebration in London and receive financial support.
For more information and to arrange interviews, contact:
Rob Few, UNDP Somalia, Head of Communication robert.few@undp.org (mobile/Whatsapp +44 7947 710 860)
Reporters from Bilan, Somalia’s groundbreaking all-women media team, walk on the streets while reporting in the capital, Mogadishu / Credit: @UNDP Somalia/2023/Fadhaye
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.”
The organizing committee of the Al Jabal Cultural Festival, organized by the Fujairah Social and Cultural Association in cooperation with the Department of Tourism and Antiquities in Fujairah, announced that Dr. Sulaiman Musa Al Jassim will be the honored personality in the third session of the event scheduled to be held on April 19 and 20, under the slogan “Nature Talk.” “.
Dr. Khaled Al-Dhanhani, Chairman of the Association’s Board of Directors, said: “The selection of Dr. Sulaiman Al-Jassem as the honored personality in the new session of the festival comes in recognition of his creative career and in celebration of his pioneering experience in the fields of culture, theatre, journalism and education.”
He added that honoring the pioneers is part of the association’s strategy, and in this festival we were keen to say a word of thanks to Dr. Sulaiman Al-Jassem, who believes that education is the path to progress for our Arab nation. He has held many positions and responsibilities in the educational, educational, cultural, and legal fields locally, regionally, and internationally, and presented many theatrical works and lectures. Cultural and working papers in local and international conferences, on education, workforce development, and demographics. He published two books, the first entitled “Fujairah… The Story of a City,” and the second entitled “The Workforce and Education in the United Arab Emirates.”
Al-Jassem is considered one of the prominent figures in the country. He worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then assumed the position of Director of Zayed University between 2006 and 2013. He also worked as Director of the Amiri Diwan in Fujairah from 1975 to 1986. He holds a doctorate from the University of Exeter in 1990, in addition to being Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Sultan bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation.
