Rahaf Khatib – First Hijabi Runner on the Front Cover of U.S. Fitness Magazine : October 2016

Rahaf Khatib – Marathoner. Stay-at-home mom.

11 x marathon / 2 x half marathon runner / 2 x sprint triathlete.

Prominently featured on the front cover of a fitness, nutrition and lifestyle magazine in the U.S. – ‘ Women’s Running ‘ Magazine – October 2016 issue.

First Syrian to complete the Abbott World Marathon Majors

Co-creator : the Adidas Hijab

Founder: www.runlikeahijabi.com

Instagram @runlikeahijabi / Blog: runlikeahijabi.wordpress.com

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AMERICAN / SYRIAN-AMERICAN/ ARAB AMERICAN

Waad Al-Kateab – Documentary Filmmaker. Award Winner.

Waad Al-Kateab. Journalist. Filmmaker. Activist

Named as one of the Top 100 Influential People in 2020 by TIME magazine (September 2020)

Award winning Syrian Director of the film ‘For Sama’ .

-The most nominated documentary in the history of the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA)

-Golden Eye Award, Cannes Film Festival / Grand Jury Award, SXSW / Special Jury Prize, Canadian Hot Docs International Film Festival / Oeil d’Or Prize, Cannes Film Festival (May 25, 2019)

Other Awards:

-International Emmy for Reporting – for the covering the Siege of Aleppo . The First Syrian to win in this category.

Presently: Reporter for Channel 4 News, UK

Other Documentary:

  • The Second Castle at Aleppo

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pix: arabnews.com / tumblr.com

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UNITED KINGDOM / SYRIA

Basant Hemida Sprints Her Way To Win 2 Medals at ‘Athletics Kladno – Czechoslovakia’ : September 2020

Basant Hemida (aka) Basant Hemida Abdelsalam. Sprinter. Track and Field Athlete.

Basant Hemida wins Sprint Double the 100m and 200m at the Athletics Kladno in Czechoslovakia.

Other Records :

  • 2019 – African Games 2019, Rabat, Morocco – 2 medals (100m 3rd / 200m 2nd)
  • 2018 – Mediterranean Championship, Jesolo, Italy – 2 medals (100m 3rd / 200m 2nd)
  • 2016 – Mediterranean Championship, Tunis, Tunisia – 1 medal (200m -2nd)
  • 2014 – Arab Junior Championship, Cairo, Egypt – 2 medals (100m 1st / 200m 2nd)
  • 2013 – Arab Youth Championship – Cairo, Egypt – 2 medals (200m 2nd / Medley Relay 2nd)
  • 2012 – Arab Junior Championship, Amman, Jordan – 2 medals (100m 2nd / 200m 1st)

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pix : english.ahram.org.eg

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EGYPT

Anais Mali – Model & Fashion Designer

Anais Mali (aka) Anais Mokngar Mali . French supermodel and Fashion Designer.

Launched her own label ‘Anais Bodysuits’ in collaboration with Urivaldo Lopes

Modelling:

Walked on runaways for : Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show (2011) / Catherine Maladrino, Cynthia Steffe, Rachel Roy, Marc Jacobs, Derek Lam, Cynthia Lam, Carolina Herrera (2010) / Sophie Theallet, Betsy Johnson, Shiatzy Chen, Vivienne Westwood (2009) etc..

-Became the Face of Dolce & Gabbana Cosmetics

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pix: commons.wikimedia.org / Model Anais Mali at the Diane Von Furstenberg Spring/Summer 2014 fashion show on September 8, 2013 at New York Fashion Week. Photo by Christopher Macsurak

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FRANCE / CHAD

Sofia Boutella : Algerian-French Actress. Hollywood.

Sofia Boutella – Actress. Model. Dancer.

Actor:

-2019 – Amazon Prime’s Modern Love (season 1, edition 5) / 2018 – Roles in the movies Climax, Fahrenheit 451 / 2017 – Roles in Atomic Blonde, The Mummy / 2016 – Roles in Star Trek Beyond, as alien warrior Jaylah / 2015 – Kingsman: The Secret Service // 2015 – Lead character Eva in the film Street Dance 2 etc….

Music Videos:

Performed in more than 20 leading world acclaimed music videos with icons of the music industry. Worked with Michael Jackson, Rihanna. Toured with Madonna.

Modelling:

Appeared in Nike Women’s advertising campaign amongst others.

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PIX: en.wikipedia.org

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FRANCE / ALGERIAN-FRENCH

Nashwa Al Ruwaini – Awarded ‘Woman Icon of the Year : 2017

Nashwa Al Ruwaini – Chairwoman and CEO – Pyramedia Group. Media Personality (aka) Oprah Winfrey of the Arab World. Production House. Philanthrophy.

Pyramedia has offices in Cairo, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Riyadh, London and New York.

-Board Member and CEO – Pyramedia Media Production and Consultancy / CEO – Al Joude Investments / Al Joude Advertising & Publicity / CEO- Delma Medical Centre / Founder and Chairman – Nashwa Foundation .

Firsts:

-Youngest female personality on Arab TV – ‘ Qatar TV ‘

-First to set up ‘Middle East Film Festival’ and Emmy Award in Middle East / Involved in providing cast for the Hollywood production for ‘Pirates of the Carribbean’ / Co-Founder and Board Member – Abu Dhabi Film Festival / Member – International Academy of TV, Arts and Sciences

Production:

  • Winner Award Winning Production of ‘The Millions Poet and ‘Prince of Poet’
  • Involved in the live-action remake of Disney’s Aladdin

Awards:

  • One of the Winners of ‘Arabian Business Saudi Awards, Ritz Carlton Hotel-Riyadh – (2019)
  • Woman Icon of the Year 2017 at Middle East Leadership Award (2017)
  • Emirates Woman Award , Category: Innovation (2017)
  • Listed ‘Forbes 100 Most Powerful Arab Business Woman’
  • Listed in Arabian Business 100 Smartest People in the UAE
  • One of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Global TV – Hollywood Reporter Magazine (2014)

www.pyramedia.biz

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pix : ww.pyramedia.biz

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EGYPT

Amina Muaddi : Footwear Designer : Paris. Italy.

Amina Muaddi . International Footwear Designer

Her own brand : Amina Muaddi. Designed in Paris. Produced in Italy. Launched in 2018

Co-Founder : Oscar Tiye, Milan. Her first shoe brand

Amina Muaddi commissioned by Rihanna to design the footwear for her brand Fenty

Designer also for shoeline of French couturier Alexandre Vauthier

Awards :

-‘Designer of the Year’ at ‘2019 Footwear News Achievement Awards’, New York

-2018 FNAA Award for ‘Launch of the Year Award’ for her own label Amina Muaddi

Education:

-European Institute of Design, Milan

-Styling stints at L’Uomo Vogue and GO US

www.aminamuaddi.com

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pix : en.vogue.me

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JORDAN-ROMANIA

Mona Kosar Abdi – Multimedia Journalist : USA

Mona Kosar Abdi (aka) Mona Kosaar Cabdi (Somali). Reporter. Journalist. News Presenter

Presently:

-Co-Anchor : ABC World News Now and America This Morning

-Former : WSET Reporter and Co-Host

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AMERICAN / SOMALIA

Nancy Ajram Breaks Records – ‘Most Listened To’ Female Arab Artist on Spotify : August 2020

Nancy Ajram (Nancy Nabil Ajram). Singer. Television Judge. Businesswoman. Philanthropy.

With this record Nancy Ajram has outperformed major singers Fairuz and the late Umm Kulthum.

Nancy came at the top of a list as the ‘Most Listened’ to female artist on the Spotify platform, after she achieved more than 100 million plays of her songs, followed by  Fairuz with 67 million plays, then Egyptian songstress Sherine Abdel Wahab with 26 million plays, then Iraqi artist Aseel Hamim with 22 million plays.

In addition, the list includes the following artists; Yara, Elissa, Najwa Karam, Assala Nasri, Haifa Wehbe, Carole Samaha, Samira Said, and finally the late Umm Kulthum known as “Kawkab Al Sharq” with 7.6 million.

Judge on MBC’s reality talent show ‘ Arab Idol’ (2003 onwards)

Records :

-Nancy Ajram has previously won many international awards, including World Music Award for the highest sales in the Middle East.

-Over 30 million records have been sold world wide, making her one of the best selling Middle Eastern music artists.

-First and only female spokesperson of Coca-Cola in the Arab World.

-UNICEF’s First Female Regional Ambassador for Middle East and North Africa (October 22nd, 2009)

-Listed on ‘One of the Most Powerful Arabs’ by Arabian Business (several times) / Listed on ‘Most Influential Arabs’ – by Newsweek

Awards:

  • More than 25 or so. Check wikipedia.com for the list

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pix : arabnews.com

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Lebanon

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

Huda Al-Sarari. Lawyer. Human Rights Defender.

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

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

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

Education:

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

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Yemen