SAUDI ARABIA: Meet Mawadah Muhtasib, the Saudi Woman Artist behind ‘1st Reversed Arabic Calligraphy Typeface’

Mawadah Muhtasib, an emerging Saudi artist who reversed the typeface of the Arabic language, is well on her way to becoming a prominent name in the global art scene.

From learning her mother’s technique of writing backward at age 13 to exhibiting in London and New York City, Muhtasib has generated international intrigue in the art of Arabic by creating the first reversed Arabic calligraphy, or calligraffiti, typeface.

Her messages are not only meant to be read, but are also designed to be deciphered. Engaging her audience with the challenge of decoding letters is a large part of experiencing the artwork itself.

“It’s about expanding your human capabilities into creating the impossible. And this is exactly what I have been trying to do,” she told Arab News in an exclusive interview.

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The Arabic language is one of the richest art forms, the artist says, but in modernity, it is difficult to appreciate the depths of something that has become so ordinary.

Born out of a quest to layer the heritage of Arabic letters with innovative graffiti art methods, her work dares to be the first of its kind, granting her Dubai’s Art Bus competition award and a chance to show her work at exclusive showcases.

As graffiti art surged in popularity in 2013, Muhtasib experimented with mural painting alongside a novel group, hoping to develop a boundaryless form of art.

With a vision to modernize the traditional, she created a decorative typeface that mixed Arabic and Latin, written from left to right.

It’s about expanding your human capabilities into creating the impossible.

Mawadah Muhtasib

Muhtasib said: “We are so used to Arabic calligraphy when it comes to Thuluth calligraphy, Al-Kufi, Al-Naskh, and so on, and we just read that way and pass it on.

“When I’m doing my Arabic calligraphy, people sit and stare at my work for hours trying to figure out what these letters are, and the moment they realize it’s Arabic, they start to analyze and see all these letters in a different form that we as Arabic speakers are not used to.”

The Arabic language is one of the richest art forms, the artist says, but in modernity, it is difficult to appreciate the depths of something that has become so ordinary.

The goal is not only to get the viewer to read but to actively reflect on the beauty and form of each stroke and letter within the alphabet.

Muhtasib now passes on her craft through community workshops exclusively for women, most recently at Saudi’s largest light-based festival, Noor Riyadh.

“In my workshops, I do not teach people to write in reverse … I’m basically giving you the key of how to use the tools of starting to practice in the form of Latin calligraphy,” she said.

As soon as students understand the anatomy of the font family, Muhtasib introduces slanted brushes, layering techniques and stroke pressure. From the first session, students are sent home with a new creative form of expression. “The soul of a person is laid out on a page,” she said.

Writing in reverse is not new; the artist’s mother passed down the habit after having to write backward to maintain privacy at work. Alongside that, she passed down her passion for creative innovation.

While most calligraphers in the Kingdom were mimicking Western methods, Muhtasib, at 16 years old, was inspired and encouraged by Tunisian artist eL Seed and Saudi Moroccan artist Shaker Kashgari.

“I took that trick that my mom taught me years ago on how to write and then I changed it into a decorative typeface,” she said.

The concept was designed to preserve the rich heritage of the Arabic language. For foreigners, it offers a chance to engage in the language and learn its history.

“This is Arabic calligraphy in reverse that I took, improved, adjusted and made into a different form. But viewers will also wonder how it actually looked like (originally) and this will make a lot of people go in-depth and learn more about Arabic calligraphy,” Muhtasib said.

The philosophy behind the Typeform has gained interest from international luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Carolina Herrera, Montblanc, Sephora and more, resulting in several collaborations.

Muhtasib urges creators to push the boundaries of art and culture.

With calligraphy, “your sky’s the limit,” she said.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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Mawadah Muhtasib now passes on her craft through community workshops exclusively for women. (Supplied)

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SAUDI ARABIA

TUNISIA: Olympics: Oussama Mellouli Sets His Sights On Seventh Olympics At Paris 2024

Oussama Mellouli became only the fourth swimmer to compete at six Olympic Games when he dived off the pontoon at Odaiba Marine Park on Thursday and then set his sights on Paris 2024 when he will be 40.

The Tunisian made his Olympic debut at Sydney 2000 and has now competed at five subsequent editions to join Therese Alshammar and Lars Frolander – both of Sweden – and Derya Buyukuncu of Turkey in an exclusive club.

The 37-year-old won gold in the 1500 free at Beijing 2008 followed four years later by bronze in the longest event in the pool as well as the open water title at London 2012.

He was 20th at Odaiba Marine Park on Thursday almost eight minutes behind winner Florian Wellbrock who delivered a masterclass in open water swimming.

Mellouli almost didn’t make it to Tokyo at all because of an ongoing dispute with the Tunisian Swimming Federation which saw him announce his retirement last month.

Days later, however, he confirmed he would race in Japan after Tunisian Olympic Committee president Mehrez Boussain pledged to mediate between Mellouli and the federation.

Mellouli though said the dispute had affected his training and subsequent performance, saying:

“I think I could have done a better job. Considering the last five weeks since Setubal (the FINA qualifying race), I’m a bit disappointed about (not being) a bit more in the fight.

“I think I wasn’t in the race for the first three loops and then I was below average in the last four loops.

“I think the poor situation that I’ve been in after my qualifier, I think a lot of extra stuff that’s been happening in my preparation didn’t get me in top form and top condition.

“After the qualifier I was hoping the situation could have been better so I could be in a better condition.”

It seems that Mellouli doesn’t want to end his career on such a note and when asked if he intended to compete in France, Mellouli said:

“I honestly hope so. I think I have more to prove.”

Should he do so, the eight-time world medallist would become the first swimmer to compete in seven Olympics after Alshammar attempted to qualify for the Sweden team in the women’s 4×100 free this year although her bid came to an end at the Sette Colli meet in June.

Thursday’s race saw Wellbrock win by more than 25 seconds ahead of Kristof Rasovszky and European champion Gregorio Paltrinieri and add to his bronze in the 1500m freestyle.

The German now holds the Olympic and world titles and Mellouli said:

“He did an amazing job, congratulations to the German team.

“Florian is a superstar. He has shown tremendous skills in the pool and today dominated the 10k so congrats.”

The first morning of swimming finals at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre featured Mellouli’s fellow Tunisian Ahmed Hafnaoui who won the 400 free from lane eight, prompting an outburst of emotion and unconfined joy.

Hafnaoui described Mellouli as a “legend” and said he aspired to be like him, a legacy of the older man’s success in the pool since he claimed his first global medal with 400IM bronze at the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona.

“I hope so,” said Mellouli.

“I’m very proud of him, words can’t describe how proud I am of him. I know the 400 freestyle is a very tough event, I think my best finish was fifth.

“He is a mature athlete at a young age.”

He added:

“That was great for Tunisian swimming, for Arab swimming, for north African swimming.

“I’m very proud of the kid. He shook the world and did an amazing job, an inspirational job.”

source/content: swimmingworldmagazine.com / Liz Byrnes

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Oussama Mellouli : Photo Courtesy: Kareem Elgazzar / USA TODAY Sports

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TUNISIA

ALGERIA: Model Baraka Merzaia: the Face of a New Algeria

The multi-talented, multilingual model, actress and singer is making a name for herself beyond her homeland.

Baraka Merzaia is a true force of nature. Beautiful, intelligent and multi-talented, the young Algerian rising star is attracting praise and attention from across the world for a wide variety of reasons. If you don’t yet know her name, you soon will.

Merzaia was born in Adrar, in the south of Algeria, but is now based in Algiers. Her talent was first noticed aged 16, when she joined a choir to learn to improve her already impressive vocal skills.

Like many young people of her generation in Algeria, Merzaia is a polyglot, which has helped her gain fans across borders. In India, four years ago, when the country celebrated the 150th anniversary of the birth of Gandhi, Merzaia was praised by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for her “memorable” rendition of “Vaishnava Jana To,” a hugely popular Hindu hymn “whose lyrics are imbued with empathy” that Merzaia hopes is contagious.

In 2019, Merzaia was named Miss Talent in her homeland, and has since landed several modelling contracts, and aspires to hit the international catwalks soon, inspired particularly by the career of Somali-American model Halima Aden — who famously sported the hijab on a Vogue cover and was the first model to wear a burkini in Sports Illustrated magazine. Like Aden, Merzaia aims to remain true to her faith and smash stereotypes in the fashion industry.

She tells Arab News France that she has already turned down offers of partnerships with brands who have asked her to remove her headscarf for photo shoots.

“Many consider my (headscarf) to be a fashion accessory,” she says. “That is far from the case, and I am convinced that I can carry out my projects without compromising my integrity.”

Another major inspiration, she tells Arab News, is her mother — a PhD holder whose thirst for knowledge has inspired Merzaia to pursue higher education, in addition to her artistic projects.

The singer, model, and actress has built up a following of more than half a million over various social-media platforms, on which she documents her daily life and her artistic projects, with a strong emphasis on Algerian culture and heritage.

One example is a video shot during a visit to her hometown of Ain Salah. “When I posted a video showing how we make kesra — a semolina pancake baked in sand — I was inundated with messages from curious people across the country asking me to share this type of content more frequently,” she says.

Her kesra video was widely shared online — including by NWE, a media that highlights African culture in all its diversity — and helped to highlight a little-known facet of Algerian culture.

Merzaia explains that she sees social media as an opportunity to introduce people to the south of Algeria, which is under-represented across mainstream media, and, at the same time, to disabuse people of stereotypes concerning Saharan inhabitants.

In 2006, a census estimated that the Black community in Algeria represented around 5 percent of the population, the lowest ratio in the Maghreb.

While Baraka is not overtly political, her claiming of — and ability to reconcile — her Algerian and African heritage, and her faith, demonstrates that these aspects of Algerian identity complement each other, when popular wisdom might suggest that they are incompatible.

At a time when many young people in North Africa tend to look to the West for cultural inspiration, Merzaia demonstrates that Algerian culture, in addition to being plural and rich, “has a lot to offer and deserves to be discovered,” as she puts it.

“I don’t consider myself to be an influencer,” she says. “Nevertheless, I do want to shed light on my culture, by sharing with my followers my faith and culture, (and this balance) between modernism and tradition.”

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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Baraka Merzaia, young student, model, singer and actress becomes an essential artist of the Algerian cultural scene (Photo, Instagram @Barakamerzaia). /arabnews.fr

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ALGERIA

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, ABU DHABI: Sheikh Zayed Festival Breaks 4 Guinness World Records Welcoming the New Year 2023

The Sheikh Zayed Festival witnessed an intense public turnout that exceeded the barrier of one million visitors, followers and viewers of the festival, who gathered in the Al Wathba area, coming from inside and outside the country, to celebrate the welcome of the New Year 2023.

The various events attracted visitors, especially the huge fireworks and drone shows, where 4 records were broken in the Guinness Book of Records.

The festival squares were crowded with crowds, and the Al Wathba area was filled with followers and viewers of the drone shows and fireworks, which lasted for about 60 minutes for the first time, for the Guinness Book of Records to record this great achievement.

Amid feelings of happiness and joy, the largest fireworks display and the largest drone show lit up the sky of Al Wathba. The largest fireworks display, which lasted for more than 40 continuous minutes and broke three records in the Guinness Book of Records in terms of quantity, time and shape, won the admiration of visitors. In addition to the largest display of “Drones”, using more than 3,000 drones, a message was drawn in the sky of Al Wathba, welcoming the New Year at the end of its interesting show.

Al-Waleed Othman, an arbitrator of the Guinness Book of Records, confirmed that the Sheikh Zayed Festival was able to break 4 records at the same time, 3 of which are related to fireworks and a new record related to “Drones”, explaining that the most number of helicopter fireworks thrown in 30 seconds or more was recorded. The number of fireworks launched in 30 seconds (wheels), the most repeated fireworks in 30 seconds, in addition to the largest formation of a quick response code by drones.

Othman said: We are pleased to be present at the Sheikh Zayed Festival in the New Year’s celebrations, and we extend our congratulations to the organizers of the festival, who used to break records annually in order to please the audience.

The festival’s audience was keen to document the wonderful moments of the various shows on their mobile phones and share them on social media. The impressive performances were also broadcasted on the festival’s social media.

The Emirates Fountain and laser performances won the admiration of the festival-goers, young and old, with their dazzling musical and laser shows.

The Pavilions of World Civilizations also allocated a lot of international artistic and folklore shows, turning the festival into a global artistic carnival in celebration of New Year’s Eve, whether by holding concerts on the stages of the Pavilions of Civilizations or by participating in the march of world civilizations that roamed all parts of the festival, presenting popular performances in traditional clothes of countries. participation.

Visitors to the Sheikh Zayed Festival expressed their happiness with the international and diverse folklore and artistic events and performances, including the activities of the Heritage Village, the city of recreational games, the children’s city, the arts area, go-karting competitions, Crazy Cars, the Garden of Lights and Flowers, in addition to the Selfie Street area, the Museum of Sweets and many others.

source/content: wam.ae (headline edited)

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

ARAB FILMS 2022: Year in Review: The Best Arab Films of 2022

William Mullally picks the best movies by Arab filmmakers over the past year.

‘Perfect Strangers’

Director: Wissam Smayra

Starring: Mona Zaki, Nadine Labaki, Georges Khabbaz

The original Italian version of “Perfect Strangers” had already been remade across the world before its Arabic-language iteration was released on Netflix. But nowhere else has it caused the stir that it did in the Middle East. The conceit is simple: Seven friends at a dinner party decide to play a game, placing their phones in the center of the table to make their calls and messages known to all. As the night goes on, their secrets are revealed, upending everything they thought they knew about each other. Not only was this the best version of the film so far, with pitch-perfect casting and memorable performances, it was also the bravest: each of its stars pushed themselves in ways they had never been able to in regional film previously, shattering taboos, capturing the world’s attention and changing Arab cinema forever.

‘Kira & El Gin’

Director: Marwan Hamed

Starring: Karim Abdel Aziz, Hend Sabri, Razane Jammal

The highest grossing film in the history of Egyptian cinema, “Kira & El Gin” is Marwan Hamed at his best. This is a crowd-pleasing historical epic that not only captures the spirit of Egypt past and present, but sets a course for a new future for the country’s film industry. Following two men fighting the British occupation in Egypt during the 1919 revolution, Hamed’s film rarely sags despite its nearly three-hour run time and sprawling cast, structured more as a suspense thriller than a social studies lecture. As Hamed jumps from genre to genre across his films, proving equally adept at each, one wonders how he will top this, should he try. But it would be foolish to bet against him as he continues to notch up career high after career high.

‘Boy From Heaven’

Director: Tarik Saleh

Starring: Fares Fares, Tawfeek Barhom, Mohammad Bakri

Egyptian-Swedish filmmaker Tarik Saleh has a bone to pick. Growing up in Europe, he was always labeled as ‘other’ — an idea reinforced in the books in his school library describing Arabs as “stupid” and “uncivilized.” Now firmly entrenched as a filmmaker, Saleh refuses to make films tailored to the Western gaze, turning his camera deep into the inner workings of Egyptian society and forcing international viewers to accept that they are seeing things through eyes that are not their own. In “Boy from Heaven,” Saleh goes deep into a corruption scandal at the influential Al-Azhar Mosque, following a hero whose strong Muslim faith is unrattled as he uncovers the evils hiding from plain sight, with scenes and images you won’t soon forget.

‘The Alleys’

Director: Bassel Ghandour

Starring: Maisa Abd Elhadi, Nadia Omran, Munther Rayahna

In 2014’s “Theeb,” Jordanian writer Bassel Ghandour crafted perhaps the greatest example of the Bedouin Western in cinema history. With “The Alleys,” Ghandour steps into the director’s chair for the first time and turns the streets of Amman into the setting for a modern noir, in which the darkness hiding in the city’s back streets slowly boils to the surface. The film’s sprawling nature is both benefit and detriment, but it’s a stirring snapshot nonetheless, elevated by star-making performances from Maisa Abd Elhadi and Nadia Omran.

‘You Resemble Me’

Director: Dina Amer

Starring: Dina Amer, Mouna Soualem, Lorenza Grimaudo

Filmmaker Dina Amer is most familiar to global audiences for her fearless journalism in 2013’s “The Square” and various Vice News stories she produced as their foreign correspondent from the front lines of regional conflicts. “You Resemble Me” cements her as a filmmaker to watch, as her harrowing experimental recounting of the life of Hasna Ait Boulahcen, the woman miscredited as Europe’s first suicide bomber, is a deeply affecting dissection of the roots of terrorism and the racism that Arab women face in Europe. One of the most original films released this year.

‘The Swimmers’

Director: Sally El-Hosaini

Starring: Nathalie Issa, Manal Issa, Kinda Alloush

The story of Yusra and Sara Mardini, two sisters from Syria who risked their lives to escape conflict for a better future only for one of them to become an Olympian, is so powerful that a film capturing their story could not help but be inspirational. El-Hosaini, the Welsh-Egyptian filmmaker behind 2012’s excellent “My Brother the Devil,” made it into something more — a thought-provoking reframing of the refugee experience at a time when Syrians and many others still suffer from that stigma, as well as a chronicle of women’s empowerment as the structures that held them back crumble, all told with a light touch that never alienates the huge global viewership the Netflix film has enjoyed.

‘Mediterranean Fever’

Director: Maha Haj

Starring: Amer Hlehel, Ashraf Farha, Anat Hadid

Palestinian cinema is often, understandably, a no-holds-barred dissection of the plight of its people. But that is by no means its only manifestation, as Maha Haj, a previous collaborator with renowned satirist Elia Suleiman, proves with her latest feature, “Mediterranean Fever,” the follow up to her acclaimed 2016 feature “Personal Affairs.” Haj focuses here on smaller human problems, following an aspiring writer who suffers from depression and befriends a small-time crook living next door. At times comedic, the film drifts into dark territory while always keeping its audience guessing. After winning best screenplay at Cannes in 2022, Haj has confirmed herself as one of the region’s most singular voices.

‘The Blue Caftan’

Director: Maryam Touzani

Starring: Saleh Bakri, Lubna Azabal, Ayoub Missioui

There is no more versatile actor working in Arab cinema today than Palestinian actor Saleh Bakri, who, with Touzani’s “The Blue Caftan,” has capped off a tremendous run of eight films in the last two years, including Farah Nabulsi’s Oscar-nominated “The Present” and Mohammed Diab’s “Amira.” This is perhaps his best performance yet. He plays Halim, a struggling master tailor in Morocco whose life is turned upside down when he and his wife take in a young apprentice. Stealing the strikingly-filmed show, however, is his co-star Lubna Azabal as his wife Mina, who is quietly enduring her own private battle with breast cancer as she and her husband struggle to communicate.  With this and 2019’s “Adam,” Touzani is already one of Morocco’s great chroniclers.   

‘Raven Song’

Director: Mohamed Al-Salman

Starring: Asem Alawad, Ibrahim Alkhairallah, Abdullah Aljafal

The singular contemporary Gulf filmmaker Mohamed Al-Salman is not making films so that the world may understand Saudi Arabia — he’s making them so that Saudi Arabia may understand itself. “Raven Song,” his debut feature after years of acclaimed shorts, is a stylish jump back to 2002 in the Kingdom, a formative time for both the filmmaker and his country, in which the fight between traditionalism and modernity was so heated that it manifested prominently even in the world of poetry. At times dream-like, “Raven Song” is a film that defies definition, with interpretations likely to roll in for years to come.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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ARABIC FILMS

SAUDI ARABIA: World’s Largest Light Ball illuminates Riyadh Season 2022

A new modern landmark in the capital of the Kingdom, the Light Ball, has been named by Guinness World Records as the largest illuminated LED ball in the world, with an estimated height of 35 meters.

Located at Boulevard World, the exterior of the ball emanates bright lighting that flickers in different patterns, while the interior boasts a 220-seat theater equipped with state-of-the-art features.

Guests can recline in their seats facing a 360-degree circular screen. The short films presented in the theater are five minutes long, with varying genres suitable for families to enjoy. The shows run every 30 minutes daily from 3:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

In addition to cultural experiences, Boulevard World includes the largest artificial lake in the world. Visitors can take part in boat and submarine rides in the lake — a first for Riyadh Season.

There are also distinctive entertainment options, such as Combat Village, Super Hero, the largest sphere in the world and cable car trips between Boulevard World and its neighboring zone, Boulevard Riyadh City.

The zone offers visitors other entertainment experiences as well, such as Boulevard Pier, Discovery, Realistic Monopoly, The Mountain, Area 15, Ninja Warriors and Fun Zone for children.

source/contents: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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Located at Boulevard World, the exterior of the ball emanates bright lighting that flickers in different patterns, while the interior boasts a 220-seat theater equipped with state-of-the-art features. (Supplied)

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SAUDI ARABIA

KUWAIT: 15 Kuwaitis Who Made Their Country Proud in 2022

The Kuwaitis continued to make many distinguished achievements and achieved results in various fields and at the various local, regional and international levels, which were recorded for their work and creativity, reports Al-Rai daily. The following are the most prominent of these achievements during the year 2022.

February 10: Dr. Hind Al-Qadri, a researcher at the Dasman Diabetes Institute of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences, won the 2021 L’Oréal UNESCO Prize for Women in Science within the Middle East Regional Program for Emerging Female Researchers. (see picture below)

February 24: Kuwaiti parachutist Ibrahim Al-Rubaian recorded an unprecedented feat by jumping from a height of 13,000 feet with the biggest fl ag in the sky of Kuwait, with an area of 800 square meters, under the slogan “I raised glory and soared with pride,” coinciding with the national holidays.

February 26: The State of Kuwait entered the Guinness Book of Records by hoisting the country’s largest flag measuring 2,742 square meters and installing it on a mountain peak in the Sultanate of Oman (Jabal Shams), at an altitude of 3,028 meters above sea level, in conjunction with national holidays.

March 21: The Arab Organization for Education, Culture and Science (ALECSO) honored Sheikha Dr. Suad Al-Sabah, in recognition of her brilliant contributions in the literary and cultural fields, at its eighth session of the “Arab Poetry Day” in the Tunisian capital.

April 23: The International Professional Diving Instructors Organization awarded the Kuwait Scientific Club Center for Swimming and Diving a Certificate of Excellence for its contribution to the development of the diving industry inside and outside Kuwait.

June 12: Kuwaiti researchers Dr. Nasser Al-Sayegh and Dr. Ammar Bahman obtained a patent from the US Patent Office, for their invention of a device capable of characterizing the physical state of nanosuspensions dispersed in nanofluids during the dynamic fl ow process.

June 29: Kuwait University announces that Assistant Professor of the Department of Surgical Sciences at the College of Dentistry, Dr. Muhammad Kamal, and the Consultant of Nose and Throat at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Abdul Mohsen Al-Turki, obtained a patent from the United States of America for an alternative medical splint to the nose wicks.

July 2: The International Pharmaceutical Federation selected Dr. Dalal Al-Taweel, Assistant Dean for Student and Academic Affairs at the College of Pharmacy, among 20 rising stars in the field of pharmaceutical research and pharmaceutical education.

August 11: The League of Arab States honors the Kuwaiti youth, Abdullah Al- Shammari, who won the third place for the “Excellence Award for Arab Youth 2022” in the field of “voluntary work” granted by the Council of Arab Ministers of Youth and Sports. The award came about the “Al-Amal Electronic Newspaper” project, which is concerned with the affairs of people with disabilities.

October 2: Plastic artist Munira Al-Qadiri won the prize of the 15th session of the German “Trina Fellbach” exhibition for small sculptures.

October 3: Dr. Badr Al-Enezi, from the Department of Environmental Technology Management at the College of Life Sciences at Kuwait University, obtained a patent on “improving water and solving the problem of environmental pollution in a scientific way” from the United States Patent and Intellectual Property Office.

October 9: Kuwaiti photographer Muhammad Murad won first place in the prestigious international “Mont Photo” competition for photography in the natural world in Spain.

October 12: The European Union of Medical Specialties selected Dr. Muhammad Kamal, a Kuwaiti academic, as the first examiner from outside the continent for the Board of Oral, Maxillofacial, and Head and Neck Surgery. The selection was made during the last session held in the Spanish capital, Madrid.

October 12: Lama Fahad Al-Ariman received the “Rising Space Leaders” award presented by the International Astronautical Federation as the representative of the State of Kuwait in this international competition.

October 30: Kuwaiti photographer Muhammad Murad won the top honorary prize in the African “Benjamin Mkapa” competition for developing African wildlife and the American “Nature Best” competition.

source/content: arabtimesonline.com (headline edited)

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Dr Hind Al-Qadri and Sheikha Dr Suad Al-Sabah

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KUWAIT

MOROCCO: Fouzi Lekjaa, Morocco’s Man of the Year

Lekjaa was instrumental in Morocco’s 2022 footballing triumphs, but he continues to look to the future.

When Morocco’s football team defied all odds by topping their group at the Qatar World Cup and qualifying to the round of 16, the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) appeared simultaneously happy and unsatisfied. 

As most football watchers — and even Moroccan fans and analysts — seemed to say that the Moroccan team’s group performance was a welcome surprise, Fouzi Lekjaa begged to slightly differ. 

Yes, the performance was welcome, but there was nothing surprising or shocking about it, the FRMF chief suggested. Others believed — or hoped — that Morocco could do well in the knockout stage, but Lekjaa knew the team could and should do much better.  With many pundits favoring Spain to beat Morocco in the round of 16, Lekjaa beamed in an interview that the Atlas Lions have “the potential to compete with anyone.”

Over the team’s next few games, Lekjaa’s words would prove true. The team defeated Spain on penalty kicks after a 120-minute grueling and edgy match, progressing to the quarter-finals for the first time in its history. With a star-suffused Portuguese team waiting in the quarter-finals, the FRMF remained adamant that Morocco could stun their European opponents. And that, ultimately, this being Morocco’s moment to lift Africa’s quarter-final curse, he was confident Morocco would seize it. 

And while Morocco’s campaign may have been ended by France in the semi-finals, and while the Atlas Lions may have failed to snatch the bronze medal during their third-place game with Croatia, they have largely achieved what has long been Lekjaa’s goal: put Moroccan football in the global spotlight and earn African football the world’s respect. 

Of course, credit for the Atlas Lions’ triumphs cannot be given to one person. Head coach Walid Regragui, players like Yassine Bounou and Sofyan Amrabat, and the team’s technical and medical staff all helped throughout the historic run.

But Lekjaa, who has also been member of FIFA’s executive council since 2021, has been duly celebrated as the orchestrator of the advancement of Moroccan football and the plaudits and respect it has earned of late. While talents on the pitch and the coaching staff’s vision and tactical nous were instrumental in Morocco’s exploits, many have argued, the Atlas Lions’ success story would not have been possible without the reforms the Moroccan federation has witnessed under Lekjaa. 

With his team’s sustained quest for Moroccan talents in the diaspora, the recent colossal investments in the national football league and in sporting infrastructure such world-class stadiums and a well-respected football academy, Lekjaa’s leadership has made Moroccan football a leader in Africa and a force to reckon with on the world stage. 

It is thus in recognition of his revolutionary leadership at the helm of the FRMF, especially the last-minute, well-timed decision to appoint an inspired coach ahead of the World Cup, that Morocco World News is choosing Lekjaa as one of this year’s most important personalities. 

Education and career

Lekjaa was born in Berkane in 1970, where he finished his education before leaving for Rabat to join the Hassan II Agronomic and Veterinary Institute, where he obtained a degree as an agricultural engineer.

He then studied at the National School of Administration in Casablanca and worked at the Ministry of Finance as well as the Ministry of Agriculture. He has been described as the youngest to ever hold the position of budget director in the Finance ministry’s history.

In October 2021, Lekjaa was named as Minister Delegate to the Minister of Finance, responsible for the Budget, as part of Aziz Akhannouch’s government, currently in power.

Career in football

While he has occupied numerous high-profile posts in Morocco’s government, Lekjaa is perhaps best known for his transformative contributions to the country’s football scene.

Having grown up a supporter of his local club, Renaissance Sportive de Berkane (RSB), Lekjaa was appointed president of the club in 2009, while he held another job as a civil servant.

In 2012, RS Berkane rejoined the Moroccan top-flight league for the first time since the 80s, and reached the Throne Cup’s final in 2014, for the first time since 1986.

Since then, the club has been crowned champions of the Throne Cup two times, in 2018 and 2022.

They have also achieved unprecedented continental success, reaching the final of the CAF Confederation Cup three times, winning the title in 2020 and 2022. They also won the most recent CAF Super Cup in 2022, after defeating their fellow Moroccans in Wydad Casablanca.

In 2014, Lekjaa succeeded Ali Fassi Fihri as President of the FRMF, the position he continues to hold today. During his time, Moroccan clubs have achieved success on the continental stage, winning three CAF Super Cup titles, two Champions’ League titles, and reaching five finals.

In 2022, the Super Cup title was contested by two Moroccan teams — with Wydad AC winning the continent’s Champions League while RS Berkane took home the Confederations Cup.

Morocco’s national football team also qualified for the 2018 Russia World Cup under Lekjaa’s presidency, although they could not make it past the group stage despite strong performances against Spain and Portugal.

In 2022, following trouble with players and disapproval from Morocco’s football fans, Bosnian manager Vahid Halilodzic was dismissed by FRMF only a few months before Morocco was set to participate in the World Cup finals.

In his place came Moroccan coach Walid Regragui, who went on to lead Morocco’s squad through a historic run that saw them reach the World Cup’s semi-finals. The decision to hire Regragui has been hailed by many as a step in the right direction of putting more trust in local talents.

Looking to the future

Morocco’s 2022 World Cup triumphs have been declared as just the beginning by some, and it certainly seems that Lekjaa is looking to the future as well.

Despite its World Cup bids being rejected before, Morocco will most likely bid again to host the 2030 World Cup. With Lekjaa joining FIFA’s Executive Council last year, this bid could see a better fate than the past ones.

If successful, Morocco would be the second African and Arab country to host the global competition. Lekjaa told the Associated Press earlier this month that Morocco is considering a joint bid with Spain and Portugal to show the world that the relationship between Morocco and its European neighbors is one “in which civilizations can meet and cultures meet.”

The Moroccan team’s performances at the 2022 tournament have only strengthened Morocco’s international reputation as a footballing nation with a history and passion for the sport, which should also serve well to strengthen its bid.

Many of the stars that led Morocco to the semi-finals in 2022 should still be playing in four years when the US, Canada, and Mexico host the competition, leading to hopes that they can maintain the same level or improve upon it in the future.

Regragui has already made it clear his aspirations are for the next World Cup, asserting that because the Atlas Lions have shown they can compete with the world’s best, Morocco lifting the trophy in 2026 is not a quixotic goal.

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com (headline edited)

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MOROCCO

OMAN: The Mall of Oman opens ‘Snow Oman’ the Region’s Largest Snow Park

A multifunctional snow park was opened at the Mall of Oman. The project Snow Oman is the largest in the Middle East. The snow park was developed by Majid Al Futtaim, who has experience building indoor snow and ski amusements. In 2005 the company unveiled its first project in the flagship Mall Al Futtaim and later realized the mega project Ski Dubai in the Mall of the Emirates.

The total area of Snow Oman is 160 000 square feet. The complex combines a variety of winter attractions, the country’s first colony of penguins, and natural snow. The main decorations are an ice port town and a sunken ship with a lighthouse.

Rides include Mountain Thriller, Snow Bullet, Slide Winder, Cloud Climber, and Zorb Ball, unique attractions such as Cold Town Muscat, and a 5112-square feet ice rink. Admission to the park starts at 12.5 OMR, equivalent to $32.5.

Snow Oman caters to guests of all ages and offers activities for both kids and thrill-seekers. Outside the ski and skate slopes are cafes with hot winter drinks, warm seating, and a photo area.

Majid Al Futtaim is one of the largest mall, retail, and entertainment companies in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The company operates 29 malls, 13 hotels, and four mixed-use complexes in the UAE, as well as more than 600 cinemas and several entertainment centers.

source/content: malls.com (headline edited0

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OMAN

SAUDI ARABIA Ranks First Globally among Donor Countries in offering Relief Assistance

Aid constitutes 1.05 percent of Saudi Arabia’s gross national income, says KSrelief chief.

Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah said that Saudi Arabia ranked first among donor countries in offering official development assistance (humanitarian and development) to low and medium-income countries, with a total of SR26.71 billion ($7.12 billion), according to data published by Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The data showcased the official 2021 development assistance offered by donor countries — member states and states with associate memberships at DAC, where the Paris-based committee is considered the biggest forum.

In a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency on Monday, Al-Rabeeah said that this assistance constitutes 1.05 percent of Saudi Arabia’s gross national income.

He added that by this proportion the Kingdom has topped the donor countries and surpassed the target approved by the UN General Assembly in October 1970 that donor countries should allocate a 0.7 percent of their gross national income as official development assistance while seeking innovative sources of financing development in developing countries.

KSrelief is exerting relentless efforts to register Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian and development assistance in the Saudi Aid Platform launched by King Salman in 2018, where assistance is documented in cooperation with relevant Saudi ministries and departments to highlight the Kingdom’s humanitarian and development identity, he said.

Al-Rabeeah expressed appreciation for the efforts of these agencies in documenting and recording the assistance provided by Saudi Arabia to the countries of the world through international platforms in accordance with internationally approved standards.

“The directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have contributed to this big achievement that put Saudi Arabia at the top of international humanitarian action,” he said.

Concluding his speech, Al-Rabeeah extended his appreciation and gratitude to the Kingdom’s leadership for its unlimited support and concern for humanitarian action, which ensure Saudi Arabia maintains its prestigious global status in this field. 

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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Beneficiaries of a KSrelief medical project for open-heart surgery and catheterization in Mali can be seen. (KSrelief)

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SAUDI ARABIA