Category: Women / Girls

EGYPT: Marwa El-Selehdar Egypt’s First and Youngest 24-year Female Shipmaster

Navigating AIDA IV through new Suez Canal on opening day: Meet Egypt’s 1st female shipmaster.

Marwa El-Selehdar reveals how she became Egypt’s first female shipmaster and her journey to be part of the new Suez Canal celebrations.

As the government promoted the new Suez Canal as “Egypt’s gift to the world,” Marwa El-Selehdar, the country’s first and youngest female shipmaster, received the good news.

The 24-year-old would assist in navigating a naval vessel through the new waterway during the opening celebrations on 6 August, she was recently informed.

“I never thought that my dream would finally come true. I am going to be part of the inauguration as a second naval officer on the deck of the training ship AIDA IV,” El Selhdar told Al-Ahram newspaper.

El-Selehdar believes that her participation as the youngest and first Egyptian and Arab female shipmaster would bolster the image of the “civilised Egyptian women.”

“I was filled with joyous fear when I first learned about my participation.”

A 2012 graduate of the Arab Academy of Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) in the coastal city of Alexandria, El-Selehdar said that becoming a shipmaster was a childhood dream.

“In my first time ever training on board a ship, [My] Captain Abdel Hamid El-Qady and the rest of the crew made me feel at home,” El-Selehdar recalled.

Initially enrolled as a student in the maritime transport department at AASTMT, El-Selehdar was later encouraged to move to the marine navigation department at the school when she found out that there were no rules that prohibit females from studying to become shipmasters, she said in a television interview back in 2010.

Her determination to join the marine navigation department was further fuelled when she heard that a female student from the African Island of Djibouti won a scholarship to study at the department. 

“I challenged myself and asked for a transfer from the maritime transport department to the marine navigation department. Amid a wave of refusals, this was the battle I had to fight in order to achieve my dream,” El-Selehdar said.

As she joined a male-dominated profession, El-Selehdar says that her mother encouraged her [as a woman] to continue on the path she chose.

Egypt has been preparing for grand celebrations for the opening ceremony of the new Suez Canal waterway on Thursday.

On Tuesday, nine swimmers who belong to the Egyptian Paralympics team – set to compete in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics —  crossed the new waterway holding a huge Egyptian flag.

Incoming visitors to the country had their passports stamped with “Egypt’s gift to the world” by Customs authorities. 

After fulfilling her first dream of becoming a shipmaster, El-Selehdar is ready to achieve her second dream of living through the opening of the new canal.

“I always thought this project was a major one, but I never realised we would actually witness this remarkable and extraordinary event,” El-Selehdar said.

source/content: english.ahram.org.eg (headline edited) text / pix: marineinsight.com

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pix: marineinsight.com

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EGYPT

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES(U.A.E) :ADNOC Sends First-ever Low-Carbon Ammonia Shipment from the UAE to Germany

 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) announced, today (September 01) that its first shipment of low-carbon ammonia has left the United Arab Emirates (UAE) bound for Hamburg, Germany. This is the first ever cargo of low-carbon ammonia to be shipped to Germany.

The demonstration cargo will be delivered to Aurubis, a leading global provider of non-ferrous metals and one of the largest copper recyclers worldwide, that has its headquarters in Hamburg. On arrival in Germany, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA), one of Europe’s leading logistics companies will handle the cargo.

Produced by Fertiglobe, a partnership between ADNOC and OCI, at its Fertil plant in Abu Dhabi’s Ruwais industrial complex, the demonstration cargo is the first of several test cargoes sold to customers in Germany as ADNOC expands its strategic energy partnership across the hydrogen value chain. The cargo follows a number of similar low-carbon ammonia sales that have been made to customers in Asia. Aurubis plans to utilize the low-carbon ammonia as a feedstock in its wire rod plant, testing its application as an additional, lower-carbon energy source for industial ulilization. The hydrogen it contains has the potential to be a low-carbon energy alternative for the energy-intensive processes in multi-metal production.

This is another important milestone in the planned scale-up of hydrogen and low-carbon ammonia production capabilities in Abu Dhabi, where ADNOC is developing a new world-scale 1 million tons per annum low-carbon ammonia plant at TA’ZIZ, the chemicals, industrial services and logistics hub in the Ruwais Industrial Complex.

His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC Managing Director and Group CEO, said: “This demonstration cargo of low-carbon ammonia builds upon the longstanding bilateral relationship between the UAE and Germany and our growing partnership in clean energy. It highlights ADNOC’s expanding role as a trusted exporter of low-carbon fuels, as the UAE focuses on the industrial growth opportunities within the energy transition.

“Our collaboration with customers in Germany also underlines ADNOC’s ambitious growth plans for the production of clean hydrogen, and its carrier fuels such as ammonia, which will play a critical role in decarbonizing hard-to-abate industrial sectors. We are committed to accelerating and deepening private and public sector collaboration in clean hydrogen projects that will reduce carbon emissions and the carbon intensity of the energy that supports our everyday lives.”

Roland Harings, CEO of Aurubis, said: “As the most efficient and sustainable smelter network in the world, Aurubis provides metals that are key for megatrends such as renewable energies, electric mobility and digitalization and hence for decarbonization. To guarantee stable processes at our sites, we are expanding our portfolio of reliable energy sources and thus investing in the decarbonization of our production at the same time. This first trial shipment of low-carbon ammonia from ADNOC represents an important milestone in our long-term vision for hydrogen solutions that will help meet our decarbonization goals.”

Angela Titzrath, CEO of HHLA, said: “With its experience in port handling and logistic of containerized dangerous goods, its vast network of seaport terminals, hinterland connections and intermodal hubs across Europe, HHLA is pleased to facilitate the import of hydrogen and its derivates to Germany and Europe as part of the strategic energy partnership.”

H.E. Michael Westhagemann, Hamburg Senator for Economy and Innovation, said: “I very much welcome the fact that our international and national partners in business and the port are leading the way with these real-world trials for decarbonizing industry. We need these real-world findings and commitment to support the ramp-up of a Green Hydrogen Economy. Hamburg as an industrial location and as a European distribution port is a blueprint for this transformation and is therefore also in the German focus.”

During the visit of H.E. Dr. Robert Habeck, Germany’s Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action to the UAE in March 2021, ADNOC signed agreements with a number of German companies to explore opportunities for collaboration in low-carbon and renewable hydrogen derivatives.

Building on its position as an early mover in the production of hydrogen, ADNOC plans to significantly grow its hydrogen production in support of the UAE’s ambition to supply up to 25% of imported hydrogen in key global markets. Germany’s national hydrogen strategy expects an import demand for clean hydrogen of approximately 3 million tons per annum (mtpa) by 2030 and up to 15 mtpa by 2050 when, according to research from the Hydrogen Council, hydrogen could meet up to 18% of the world’s energy demand.

Low-carbon ammonia is the most promising at-scale hydrogen carrier and potential clean fuel for a wide range of applications, including transportation, power generation and industrial, including steel, cement, and fertilizer production. It is made from nitrogen and clean hydrogen derived from natural gas feedstocks, with the carbon dioxide by-product from hydrogen production captured and stored.

Collaboration with end-user Aurubis and logistics company HHLA underscores expanding role of ADNOC as a trusted exporter of low-carbon fuels as the UAE focuses on industrial growth opportunities within the energy transition

ADNOC plans to significantly grow its hydrogen production in support of the UAE’s ambition to supply up to 25 per cent of hydrogen demand in key global markets.

source/contents: adnoc.ae (headline edited)

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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E.)

MOROCCO: Laila Amili: Mutlifront Activist, Passionate Pan-African

A women’s rights advocate and secretary general of the Moroccan climate coalition, Laila Amili is now working to build a bridge between Moroccan associations and the All-African-Movement Assembly.

From August 29 to 31, pan-African activists from across Africa and the Diaspora will gather in Arusha, Tanzania, for the All-African-Movement Assembly (AAMA) conference promoting justice, peace, and dignity. 

AAMA organized a first validation conference in August 2016 in Arusha, gathering 272 people from 40 countries from across the continent. 

The pan-African movement is built on five pillars : fighting for more civic and political action; promoting women’s rights and individual freedoms across the continent; advocating for the right to equity and dignity; promoting democratic and corruption-free governance; and calling for climate and environmental justice. 

Morocco’s Lingering Gender Injustices

Laila Amili, president of Mains Libres (Free Hands), a Moroccan association fighting for girls and women’s rights, joined the AAMA two months ago. She’s a socialist, a founding member of the Arab feminist network Tha’era, and a climate activist. 

In conversation earlier this week with Morocco World News, Amili spoke passionately of her new challenge: working to build a bridge between the pan-African movement AAMA and Moroccan associations. 

“We hope to promote African solidarity to build the future we want as Africans: the right to peace, social inclusion, and prosperity for Africans all around the world,” Amili said. 

For the Moroccan activist, sharing different experiences from different African actors would be a way to build progress for women’s rights. In Morocco, much of Amili’s activism revolves around fighting against underage marriage and domestic violence, as well advocating for greater female visibility in leadership positions.

It’s been three years since Mains Libres first launched its fight to forge substantive changes in the Moudawana, the Moroccan family code. In particular, the group has ceaselessly called for both the criminalization of child marriages and the protection of divorced mothers’ rights to keep their children. 

Underage Article 175 and 176 of the current Moroccan family code,  a divorced mother loses child custody if she remarries and her child is over 7 years old. 

For Mains Libres, Amili said, “the child should stay with her mother until 15, even if she decides to remarry.” 

And when legislative change does occur, as was the case in 2018 with the parliament’s adoption of Law 103.13 about violence committed against women, Amili insists that effective implementation should follow. Legislative change is only meaningful if it actually leads to tangible impact or perceptible changes in the everyday lives of the women who have long borne the weight of gender inequality.    

Embracing Africa

“I see that these struggles are common in most African countries,” Amili said. “That’s why a lot of people are willing to join AAMA and participate in African solidarity.” 

She recalled that after the first AAMA regional convention in Rabat on July 28, 2022, more Moroccan associations expressed keen interest in pan-African cooperation. This was a notable, emphatic, and overdue break from a long tradition, Amili argued, pointing out that Moroccan activists previously tended to work a lot with Arab or European countries. Now is the time to value and participate in pan-African solidarity, she insisted.  

The AAMA summit in Tanzania is even more relevant amid the slow post-COVID across Africa. For Amili, one main reason for the event’s particular significance is the opportunity to discuss with fellow pan-African activists the far-reaching consequences that the pandemic has on the lives of many women across their continent, especially those who were already living in a precarious financial situation. 

According to a March 2021 information note from Morocco’s High Commission for Planning (HCP), women were by far the hardest hit by the COVID-induced unemployment in the North African country. 

The World Needs Solidarity

In addition to the devastating socio-economic disruptions brought about or further exacerbated by the COVID crisis, people – especially women – from the Global South are also the principal victims of the emerging ecological challenges.

“Us, people from the South, are the ones who are suffering more and more, because of poverty and increasing drought,” Amili said. “Poor people are the main victims of climate change.” 

Amili is also the secretary general of the Moroccan coalition for climate justice, a gathering of 230 associations. Having participated in numerous international climate conventions in that role, she  deplores the lack of women in leadership decisions. 

One of the priorities of the Moroccan climate coalition is to heighten awareness about climate justice to make it “real” and not only written on official papers, said Amili. 

Over the past months, one of Amili’s many activities – or duties – as the president of the coalition has been to travel to rural, marginalized areas to raise awareness about the climate and share vital information about environmental challenges with underserved communities whose lives and livelihoods have long been upended by rampant changes that they do not know of, let alone understand.  

For Amili, the world can meet several of the challenges it faces if enough people are taught – or learn – to nurture a certain disposition toward empathy and solidarity when making sense of global challenges. 

“We need solidarity for peace, human dignity, and human rights,” she said. “One hand can’t build anything, it’s with two, three, or four hands that we can achieve our goals.” 

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com (headline edited)

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MOROCCO

AUGUST 28: Emirati Women’s Day. From 1970 to now: How UAE empowered women to create history

Country marks Emirati Women’s Day to celebrate role of nation’s women.

The UAE celebrates Emirati Women’s Day on August 28, marking the strength and empowerment of the country’s female citizens. The day recognises the contribution of the nation’s women, and their role in the development and advancement of the country.

Take a look at the timeline of the empowerment of Emirati women:

1970

Dr Shaikha Al Maskari was the first woman petroleum engineer in the GCC and first to work in the UAE oil fields.

1983

Dr Hessa Abdullah Lootah became the first female TV director.

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2004

Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi becomes the first female minister.

2006

Dr Amal Al Qubaisi was the first female FNC member.

2008

Khulood Al Dhaheri becomes the first female judge.

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2008

Fatima Saeed Obeidi Al Awani was appointed (only second in Arab World) as marriage contract officer ‘Mazoun’.

2008

Dr Hissa Al Otaiba and Sheikha Najla Al Qasimi became the UAE’s first women ambassadors.

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2013

Lana Nusseibeh becomes the first Emirati female ambassador to the UN.

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2014

Major Mariam Al Mansouri becomes the first female Emirati fighter pilot

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2014

Hana Kazim becomes the first Emirati to graduate from the prestigious American Film Institute (AFI).

2015

Dr Amal Al Qubaisi was elected as the first female Speaker of Federal National Council (FNC).

2015

Reem Al Marzouqi becomes first Emirati to be granted a patent in US for designing a car that can be driven without using hands.

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2015

Hind Abdulaziz Alowais became the first Emirati woman to be posted at the UN Headquarters in New York.

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2016

Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi becomes first Happiness Minister in the world.

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2016

Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi becomes first Happiness Minister in the world.

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2016

Horiya Al Dhahiri becomes the first woman from the Gulf to get a professional coaching licence from the Asian Football Confederation.

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2016

Ghada Mohamed Al Rousi becomes the first officer with Air Arabia and the first woman to get a Multi-crew Pilots Licence (MPL).

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2017

Maitha Qambar is the first Emirati woman to be conferred a Master’s Degree in Terrorism and Homeland Security Policy in the US.

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2017

Lamia Tariq, six, becomes the youngest Emirati to compete in rhythmic gymnastics and brand influencer Emirati ambassador for Dubai Women’s Run.

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2018

Zahra Lari first woman skater to represent UAE in 2018 Winter Olympics.

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May 26, 2022

Nayla Albaloushi becomes first Emirati woman to scale Mount Everest.

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May 29, 2022

Emirati businesswoman, Dr Majida Alazazi, the chairwoman of M Glory Holding Group, behind first UAE-made electric car.

May 30, 2022

Sheikha Mozah bint Marwan Al Maktoum becomes the first woman to pilot the AW609 tiltrotor .

source: khaleejtimes.com (headline edited)

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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)

U.A.E : Pilot Aisha Al Mansoori makes History as the UAE’s First Female Captain, Etihad Airways

An experienced pilot has risen through the ranks over 15 years with Etihad.

There is no limit for Emirati women, says Aisha Al Mansoori who has risen through the ranks from a cadet pilot at Etihad Airways to become captain. She is the first Emirati woman to achieve the feat.

At the airline’s crew briefing centre , Al Mansoori received four stripes on her uniform, confirming her new rank.

“I feel very happy and proud,” said the pilot aged 33, who has almost 6,000 flight hours under her wings since joining the UAE’s national airline more than 15 years ago.

“It is an achievement that I’ve been looking forward to and working hard for since I was a cadet pilot,” she told The National.

She took inspiration from her sister, Major Mariam Al Mansouri, the UAE’s first female fighter pilot.

“Growing up, becoming a pilot was not really an option for Emirati women. But I was lucky that my sister started flying when I was still in high school. I went with her to the air show,” she tells The National.

“When I saw the aircraft and pilots, I just fell in love. I knew that is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

She joined Etihad’s cadet programme in 2007 where she trained with a Cessna 172, a four-seat, single-engine aircraft, and Diamond DA42, a four-seat, twin-engine aircraft.

After graduating, Al Mansoori joined Etihad Airways as a cadet pilot on Airbus A320. She progressed to flying Airbus A330s and became the first female UAE national to fly an A380 superjumbo, the world’s largest passenger jet.

Now she is back to flying Airbus A320s as a captain. Over the years, she was promoted to the ranks of second officer, first officer and senior first officer, and has now taken on the rank of captain, marking a first for her country. It has been a long and rewarding journey, and she still remembers the first time she took to the skies.

“The first time I flew an aircraft, it felt very isolated in the cockpit because we have to keep the doors closed. I had come after training in a simulator which is also a closed box environment. So, I was very focused on my mission,” she says.

“That’s when a training captain told me I should step outside and say goodbye to the passengers. And only then it hit me that those are the people who trust me with their lives. I realised what a great responsibility and a great honour it is to be a pilot.”

The job is also full of challenges, says Al Mansoori.

“If you’re not passionate, it’s hard to survive because of [the] long and irregular working hours. Sometimes you have to work through the night. You need to maintain a healthy lifestyle and control your rest to be able to function. But at the same time, the joy and fulfilment of the job are definitely worth it.”

The sky seems to be the limit for this high-flying Emirati who would one day like to train and inspire future pilots. “I think we have a lot of promising talents in the company that will do great in the future,” she said.

But for now, she’s excited that her milestone shatters another glass ceiling for Emirati women.

“We are both privileged and lucky to be born in the UAE as opportunities are open. All you need to do is seek it and take it.”

“Etihad is extremely proud of Captain Aisha’s achievement and the trailblazing role she is playing for women in aviation in the UAE. She will no doubt be the first of many, and Etihad looks forward to welcoming more female pilots to the rank of Captain in the future,” said Mohammad Al Bulooki, chief operating officer at Etihad Aviation Group.

Al Mansoori will commence regular flying duties as a captain at Etihad on August 28, a day that also marks Emirati Women’s Day.

source/contents: thenationalnews.com (headline edited)

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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)

SAUDI ARABIA: Team Saudi returns Home with 24 Medals from the ‘5th Islamic Solidarity Games 2022’, Konya,Turkey

Team Saudi returned home to the Kingdom after collecting a record 24 medals at the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games held in Konya, Turkey, from Aug. 9-18.

They won two gold, 12 silver, and 10 bronze medals. The previous record was 11 medals at the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku.

The competition saw the participation of 54 countries and 4,000 athletes.

The Saudi team placed 15th in the overall country standings, and its weightlifting athletes scooped 11 medals between them (one gold, six silver, and four bronze).

Athletics came second with five medals (four silver and one bronze), Karate with three medals (gold and two bronze), table tennis with two medals (one silver and one bronze), Paralympic swimming with one bronze medal, and finally a silver medal in the U23 football competition.

The Saudi weightlifting team won their first medals when Abdullah Al-Biladi delivered three bronzes on the opening day.

Siraj Al-Saleem delivered three silver medals in the 61kg event. On Thursday, Mansour Al-Saleem won gold in the 55kg event. Additional weightlifting medals came from Ali Al-Othman, who delivered a silver and a bronze.

Saudi track and field athlete Yousef Masrahi came second in the 400m race. His teammate Mazin Al-Yasin came third to secure the bronze in the same event.

Karate silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, Tarek Hamdi, secured first place on the podium after defeating his Azerbaijani opponent Ismayilov Gurban to win gold.

Hamdi said: “I’m thankful for all the support we get from SOPC (Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee) president Prince Abdulaziz and his VP Prince Fahad and all the Saudi karate fans and people who believed in me. I dedicate this success to them, and hopefully, our next goal is (the) Riyadh Asian Games 2034, where we hope to meet you all.”

Saud Al-Bashir and Sultan Al-Zahrani brought the other two bronze medals in Karate.

At the closing ceremony, SOPC vice president Prince Fahd bin Jalawi and the head of the Saudi delegation congratulated all the medal winners.

He also extended his appreciation and thanks to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Muhammad Muharram Kasaboglu for successfully hosting the games.

source/contents: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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Saudi’s delegation claimed a total of 24 medals at the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games in Turkey. (SOPC)

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SAUDI ARABIA

ALGERIAN-FRENCH: Zineb Sedira—First Artist of Algerian Heritage to Represent France at Venice Biennale—reveals plans for pavilion focused on activist filmmaking

Project shines a light on the cultural exchange between Algeria, France and Italy during the 1960s.

Zineb Sedira has outlined plans for her presentation at the French pavilion at this year’s Venice Biennale (23 April-27 November), revealing that the project will focus on Algerian cinema of the 1960s and 1970s and its links to the Italian and French film industries. The subject matter is timely as 2022 is the 60th anniversary of Algeria achieving independence from France. On 5 July 1962, Algeria became a sovereign state after an eight-year war which resulted in the deaths of at least 400,000 Algerians.

Sedira is the first artist of Algerian descent to be selected as the country’s representative. Sedira, who was born in Paris to Algerian parents, attended college in London, completing her undergraduate studies at Central Saint Martins school of art. She is now based in South London.

Sedira revealed her ideas for the cinematographic installation Dreams have no titles in an online press briefing held 18 February, outlining how she initially researched the history of Algerian film for an exhibition at the Jeu de Paume in Paris in 2019. Her passion for cinema was sparked by childhood trips to the local cinema in the 1960s in her home town of Gennevilliers outside Paris (these film outings were made with her father every Thursday when school was closed).

This interest developed further during her time as a student in London. “As part of postcolonial studies, I came across [the philosopher] Frantz Fanon and [the 1966 film] The Battle of Algiers. In France, I never came across those people because The Battle of Algiers was still censored in France [in the late 1970s and early 1980s],” she said. “There were no intellectual role models to me of Algerian origin; in England, I discovered there was a wealth of [Algerian] men, women and filmmakers.” 

For the pavilion piece, Sedira carried out research at the Cinémathèque in Algiers, discovering that many films financed by the state of Algeria at the time were also co-produced with Italian and French filmmakers. “So when I was asked to propose an idea for the French pavilion, I thought of the Mostra [Venice Film Festival]. I thought it was interesting to do something around the three countries,” she said. Sedira wants to focus on the cooperation between France, Italy and Algeria— and the solidarity between the trio of nations—though her Venice “project goes beyond that”, the artist stresses.

Sedira visited numerous film archives in Algeria, France and Italy as part of the research process. “In Italy, [we visited] Venice, Turin and Bologna. We discovered a film that had disappeared,” says Yasmina Reggad, the co-curator of the French pavilion, referring to Les Mains Libres made by the Italian director Ennio Lorenzini in 1964. 

“It was the first international film collaboration between Algeria and another country [Italy],” said Sedira, but after 1966 Les Mains Libres was lost. She eventually found the forgotten work in a small archive in Rome. “It is an important film for anyone interested in post-1962 Algerian history,” she adds. 

The French pavilion project aims to be a starting point for discussions on other topics such as colonialism, collective and individual histories, national identity and the fight against racism. “The notion of a nation begs to be critiqued and challenged. What is a nation at the end of the day? It is a big fiction to believe that when you draw a certain line, everyone who happens to be behind this line is of the same mentality and culture,” said Sam Bardaouil, the co-director of the Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin along with Till Fellrath (the duo have also co-curated the French pavilion).

“In a sense, a pavilion is an attempt to give a physical form to a fiction, so to use fiction in the language of cinema as a way to critique nation and belonging is such an intelligent and timely way to discuss these issues,” Bardaouil said.

The three pavilion curators will participate in a film to be shown in the pavilion. “We’ll be turned into actors and actresses,” said Reggad. Bringing together an artistic community was paramount, added Sedira, who relished the opportunity “to work with friends, to be surrounded by friends”. The film production will also include members of the crew and her son. “I was playing on the aesthetic and structure in cinema in the 1960s in low-budget films when one would play many roles,” she said

The pavilion project will also include a “conversation” with the UK pavilion artist, Sonia Boyce, and the Swiss representative, Latifa Echakhch. “Sonia was my neighbour for many years and she taught me at one point when I was studying art in London,” said Sedira.

At the briefing, the curators also discussed the three accompanying journals linked to the pavilion project. Each issue refers to a city—Algiers, Venice, and Paris—that has played an integral part in Sedira’s practice. “The journal is an extension of what the project entails inside the pavilion. The cities mark the phases of Zineb’s life, they become entry points to questions that are related to the themes that will be discovered in the film and installation in the pavilion,” said Bardaouil. Contributors include the French artist Laure Prouvost and the actor Nabil Djedouani.“The journal has allowed for a diversity and plurality of voices,” Bardaouil added.

The journal design is based on film magazines of the 1960s and 1970s, added Reggad, and also borrows from militant leaflets of the era. The journals are “doors to an intellectual horizon [with] texts, images and playlists”, said Eva Nguyen Binh, the president of L’Institut Français which is supporting the pavilion. Other sponsors include Arts Council England and the dealer Kamel Mennour who represents Sedira

source/content: theartnewspaper.com (headline edited)

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Zineb Sedira will represent France at the 2022 Venice Biennale with the exhibition Dreams have no titles

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FRENCH / ALGERIAN

BAHRAIN: Meet the First Miss Universe Bahrain ‘Manar Nadeem Deyani’

The aspiring fashion designer, who lives in Dubai, says she cannot wait to represent her country at the global pageant, to be held in Israel.

Fashion design student Manar Nadeem Deyani, 25, will make history next week when she becomes the first beauty queen from Bahrain to represent her country at the Miss Universe 2021 pageant.

A Dubai resident, Deyani was named on Monday night as her country’s representative at the global pageant, the winner for which will be crowned on December 12 in Eilat, Israel.

“I may be the shortest candidate in the history of Miss Universe, but I stand tall representing a country of love, peace and kindness – your first ever Miss Universe Bahrain,” the 155cm tall Deyani posted on Instagram, announcing her participation.

“We are honoured to appoint an empowering woman like Manar ‘Jess’ Deyani who embodies the grace, passion and inspiration of a modern and respectful queen,” a spokesperson for Miss Universe Bahrain told The National.

“Manar, also known as Jess, wants to raise awareness on issues like mental health, equality and inclusivity by using her platform to inspire many people to be more comfortable on their own skin and to show that beauty standards are here to be changed,” Deyani’s description on the Miss Universe website reads.

“Nowadays people have a concept of what a beauty queen is, but she is here on the international stage as the first Bahraini representative to show the we are a generation that breaks stereotype.”

A student at the American University in the Emirates, Deyani tells The National she is “excited for this opportunity”.

“I cannot wait to represent Bahraini women in a platform that empowers women and promotes global understanding,” she says.

The aspiring fashion designer, who says she suffers from a disorder that causes anxiety and depression, says she will use her title and the global platform to raise awareness about the negative stigmas associated with mental health.

“A lot of people are suffering from it in their daily lives, but are ashamed of asking help just because they do not want to be identified as someone ‘insane’. This has to change, we need to normalise the discussion about mental health. It is a disease that doesn’t show any symptoms,” she says.

“I am currently using my social media platform to connect with people who suffer from the same challenges and I hope with my new title as Miss Universe Bahrain, I will be able to expand my reach and impact to create a world that truly understands the mental health issues.”

Israeli authorities on Sunday said the Miss Universe pageant would go ahead as scheduled, despite a travel ban on foreigners in an effort to stave off the Omicron coronavirus variant. Participants would be granted waivers while undergoing PCR testing every 48 hours, along with other precautionary measures, the country’s tourism minister said.

On Monday, organisers revealed a contestant had tested positive upon arrival and was taken to a government-run isolation hotel. The Miss Universe Organisation did not identify the contestant who tested positive, or her nationality, but said most of the 80 contestants have arrived ahead of the finals next week.

In another first, the UAE is also expected to send a delegate this year.

To those who think beauty pageants are outdated, Deyani says it’s all about perspective.

“I am a modern Bahraini woman who has a globalised mindset while celebrating my rich heritage and culture. I think pageants are a great platform to celebrate our differences and unite as a one,” she says. “I see pageants as a conference, but done is a very fashionable way where we learn from each other, share knowledge and interact with like-minded people.”

source/contents: thenationalnews.com (headline edited)

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BAHRAIN

Tunisian-French Nadia Dhouib is Paco Rabanne’s New General Manager

Tunisian-French Nadia Dhouib has been named the new General Manager of Paco Rabanne. The former Galeries Lafayette Champs-Elysees managing director succeeds Bastien Daguzan, who served in the role for five years.

Dhouib will report to Vincent Thilloy, chief brands officer of Paco Rabanne and Jean Paul Gaultier, another fragrance brand owned by Spanish firm Puig.

Dhouib, founder of RethinkRetail Advisory, has aided designers in their shift from Galeries to RethinkRetail.Advisory. “Retail isn’t dead – it’s boring,” she explained to Vogue Arabia at her Galeries appointment, saying that she wanted to create an experience for clients. Keep an eye on this place to observe the transformation she brings to Paco Rabanne’s property.

The maison was founded in 1966 and rapidly developed an avant-garde and current identity. Its Spanish founder, Francisco Rabaneda y Cuervo, was the son of Balenciaga’s head seamstress. He fled Spain’s Civil War for France, where he took the name Paco Rabanne. He began his career as an architect before transitioning to avant-garde accessory design and creating one-of-a-kind pieces for haute couture houses. In 1966, he started his eponymous label, which featured outfits comprised of moulded plastics, hammered metal, aluminum jersey, and knitted fur. His eponymous chainmail gowns—as worn by Françoise Hardy—remain emblematic of the house to this day.

source/content: carthagemagazine.com (headline edited)

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FRANCE / TUNISIA

SAUDI ARABIA: Lama Al-Ahdal Prizewinning Student Speaks of her Journey to the Physics Olympiads Competition Success

Prizewinning Saudi student Lama Al-Ahdal, who has been scooping medals at Physics Olympiads, says her competition success motivates her to continue with her passion and achieve great things for the Kingdom.

She won gold at the Gulf Physics Olympiad, a bronze at the International Physics Olympiad, and a bronze at the Nordic-Baltic Physics Olympiad.

Al-Ahdal spoke to the Saudi Press Agency about the beginning of her journey in the Physics Olympiad through the Mawhoob Competition, which she took part in several times.

It was her participation in 2018 that led to her nomination to attend training forums, a path that would eventually lead her to victory.

“I started attending basic courses in Jeddah, through which I qualified and passed the required tests. I was nominated for the Winter Forum at Princess Nourah University in Riyadh, then trained with the physics team, from which a number of students in the Kingdom would qualify to form the Saudi team for the Physics Olympiad.

“At the beginning of 2019, we underwent intense eight-hour training, both remotely and at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, to prepare for international competitions. I learned how to calculate the strength of the Earth’s magnetic field using a string and two pieces of magnets, how electricity can be generated by heating two pieces of metal, how to measure the thickness of a candy wrapper using a laser, and other scientific experiments.

“The top five students were then nominated to represent the Kingdom, and thankfully I made it and snatched the gold medal in the Gulf Physics Olympiad, the bronze medal in the Nordic-Baltic Physics Olympiad, and the bronze medal in the International Physics Olympiad.”

Joining the Saudi physics team and undergoing training helped her to discover that physics was a beautiful subject. “I learned a lot from it and the Olympiad experience.”

Her participation increased her skills and developed her thinking by getting to know competitors from different countries.

“I also developed my time management skills since the training continued even during school days. My father and mother had a major role in helping me achieve my goals and encouraging me to try new things to gain more skills and learn more,” she said.

Setting a specific goal and working to achieve it was the most important thing that motivated her to take up the challenge and try new things.

Her father, Abdul Rahman Al-Ahdal, said his daughter’s journey was full of scientific challenges.

“She has always been a talented child and a bright student, with a  promising future ahead of her. God blessed her with a group of highly experienced trainers and supervisors. It is important to focus and draw a plan and work to achieve it.

“I thank King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, and everyone responsible for helping the sons and daughters of the Kingdom partake in forums of creativity, innovation and scientific Olympiad, and other scientific activities.”

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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SAUDI ARABIA