Arabs & Arabian Records Aggregator. Chronicler. Milestones of the 25 Countries of the Arabic Speaking World (official / co-official). AGCC. MENA. Global. Ist's to Top 10's. Records. Read & Enjoy./ www.arabianrecords.org
Coinciding with the country’s 51st National Day celebrations, Karwa Motors has rolled out its first Karwa-branded bus proudly bearing the ‘Made in the Sultanate of Oman’ tag called ‘Salam’.
The company has a manufacturing facility in the Duqm Special Economic Zone.
The event also marks the start of manufacturing operations for the joint investment project between Oman and Qatar, which in its first phase aims to produce 500 buses annually.
Karwa Motors is a joint venture between Mowasalat Qatar, the state-owned transport company of Qatar, and Oman Investment Authority’s sovereign wealth fund.
Commenting on the new facility, Dr Ibrahim al Balushi, chief executive officer of Karwa Motors, said, “Located on a 600,000sqm site, the manufacturing facility is outfitted with the latest in technology. Our factory will also create job opportunities for Omanis, whether they are regular jobseekers or have experience in the automotive field.
“The first phase of ramp-up will be focused on producing the first of three Karwa-branded buses – Salam – which will be used at the FIFA World Cup 2022.
After the COVID-19 pandemic sparked a near-two-year closure, the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, has finally reopened its doors to visitors.
Founded in 2005, AANM bills itself as America’s first and only museum devoted to telling the stories of Arab-American history and culture. Its location is apt; Dearborn is home to the largest Arab community in the US — around 40 percent of the city’s population is of Lebanese, Syrian, Yemeni, Iraqi, or Palestinian origin.
eaturing a courtyard, a fountain, and thematic spaces, the interior of AANM pays homage to Middle Eastern and North African design and architectural aesthetics. Through its galleries, the museum details Arabs’ varied contributions to humanity, and the phases of Arab immigration: the challenges of coming to America, the challenges of establishing a life there, and the impact of Arab-Americans in the public and private spheres.
It tells the stories of peddlers, entrepreneurs, scholars, military men and women, artists, and entertainers. There are some important but relatively unknown names highlighted. Take Ruth Joyce Essad, a fashion designer born in 1908, for example. She became one of Detroit’s first couturiers — dressing socialists and singers, including big-band vocalist Dinah Shore. Another interesting personality is the Syrian business owner Leon B. Holwey, who claimed to have co-invented the ice-cream cone in the early 1900s.
On a national level, the profile of Arab-Americans was raised last year by President Joe Biden, who made history by establishing National Arab American Heritage Month, which will take place in April every year.
source/content: arabnews.com
_________
The Arab American National Museum is in Dearborn. (Supplied) / arabnews.com
Russian tribute to Yehia Abdel-Tawab, first ballet dancer in Egypt
Yehia Abdel-Tawab, one of the pioneers of ballet in Egypt and the recipient of the Medal of Merit from late President Gamal Abdel-Nasser, has been honored by the Egyptian Association of Graduates of Russian and Soviet Universities (EAGRSU) and the Russian House in Cairo for his contribution in strengthening Egyptian-Russian relations through his artistic career.
The EAGRSU and the Russian House held a seminar titled ‘The Ballet in Egypt and Russian Experiences’ earlier this week in honour of Abdel-Tawab, who is a professor of ballet at the Academy of Arts.
The seminar, held at the Russian Cultural Centre in Dokki, was moderated by President of the Association Sherif Gad and attended by director of the Russian Cultural Centres in Egypt Marat Gatin, dean of the Ballet Institute in Cairo Atef Awad, former dean of the Ballet Institute Sherif Bahader, member of the board of directors of the association Samia Tawfik, and Ballet Institute professor Tahani Hassan.
Abdel-Tawab also stressed that ballet in Egypt has a strong foundation, and with the efforts made by the state to build new opera houses, there will be many specialized ballet companies, and called for more cooperation with Russian experts in order to exchange experiences.
Former dean of the Ballet Institute Bahader said that Abdel-Tawab is considered one of Egypt’s first pioneers in the art of ballet, and one of the greatest ballet dancers in the entire world.
“He is also one of the first dancers in double dance in Egypt and the Arab world.”
Professor of ballet Tahani Hassan expressed her pride in her teacher at the Ballet Institute Abdel-Tawab, pointing out that all his students learned from him commitment, as he was accurate in timing and executing movements.
During the event, a documentary film on the history of the art of ballet in Egypt was shown, and Gad presented a certificate of honour on behalf of the association to Abdel-Tawab in appreciation of his great artistic career.
source/content: english.ahram.org.eg
__________
(L-r) Marat Gatin, Sherif Bahader, Tahani Hassan, Yehia Abdel-Tawab, Atef Awad, and Sherif Gad photo credit of the Russiaan Centre
50 countries to take part in Aqsa Week 2022 to promote love of mosque, raise awareness
A UK-based initiative to shed light on the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem has gone global for the second year in a row, with more than 50 countries set to take part, according to organizers.
Aqsa Week 2022, which will run from Feb. 24 to March 2, is being organized by the British-based Friends of Al-Aqsa (FOA) — a NGO concerned with defending the human rights of Palestinians and protecting the Al-Aqsa Sanctuary.
FOA said that during the week, which they anticipate to be the biggest one yet, mosques, universities, local councils and parliaments will hold talks, workshops and other activities and educational events to highlight the mosque’s heritage, and bring global focus to its issues.
Aqsa Week, which was launched by FOA in 2017, aims to inform people of Al-Aqsa and its history and significance, as well as the dangers faced by Al-Aqsa and the Palestinian people.
Al-Aqsa is Islam’s third holiest site and is in close proximity to religions sites significant to Jews and Christians, making the area a flashpoint in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The Israeli government has on occasion prevented Muslim worshippers from accessing the mosque.
Several of the FAO events will be streamed live on their social media accounts, as well as TV and radio, and they have chosen #LoveAqsa as this year’s hashtag.
The Fiber Connect Council MENA has announced the appointment of Eng. Ahmed Mekky, Chairman and CEO of Benya Group, as Chairman of the council for a two-year term, succeeding Mr. Juan Colina. His appointment for this esteemed role, marks the first time an Egyptian assumes this position.
Eng. Mekky has been involved with the council in his capacity as a member of the Board of Directors since 2011, and was nominated for his role as Chairman of the council, in light of his endless contributions to the ICT industry on a global level and particularly for his extensive experience in the field of optical fibers.
Benya Cables, a subsidiary of Benya Group, began with ambitious plans to build the region’s largest optical fiber factory, and is now months away from materializing that reality.
Fiber Connect Council MENA has a mandate to exponentially increase the deployment of high-speed fiber networks, to connect consumers, businesses, governments and organizations, with the products and services needed to enhance quality of life, make a sustainable impact on the environment, boost business competition and develop apps to ultimately transform the way people live and businesses operate.
The Council’s Board of Directors is comprised of a notable cohort of member organizations such as Corning, Prysmian MEFC, OFS, Etisalat, and Oman Broadband. The board was formed in 2011 as an initiative launched by the founding members, and since inception, now boasts a member and partner count over 50 prominent industry leaders.
Kholoud Al-Dergham, Director General of Fiber Optic Connect Council MENA, welcomed the appointment of Eng. Ahmed Mekky as the Council’s new Chairman, highlighting “his expert record and experience in this field as invaluable assets to the Council, as well as a unique opportunity to invest that kind of experience, to accomplish the council’s objectives to expand the use of fiber optics”.
Eng. Ahmed Mekky is one of the most influential and prominent leaders in the ICT sector. In 2017, he founded Benya Group, formerly known as “Fiber Misr Systems,” and its affiliates with the goal of accelerating the Middle East and Africa’s digital transformation.
Prior to that, he launched Gulf Bridge International (GBI) in 2008 to build and operate the first underwater cable network, stretching over 40,000 kilometers and connecting 25 nations.
In 2011, he was appointed to the SAMENA Council’s Telecommunications Committee, and was selected on the Board of Governors (PTC).
Eng. Mekky has received various honors in recent years, including the “Telecom Review” award for best CEO in the area of enterprises offering services in telecom infrastructure for three consecutive years (2019, 2020 and 2021)
Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah won Qatar International Rally to record a 16th victory at his home event and achieve a stunning milestone of 80 wins in the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) since 2003.
The success was a 28th for co-driver Mathieu Baumel in the MERC and his fifth in Qatar, while Al Attiyahs 80th success as a driver equaled the number of wins achieved last month by French legend Sébastien Loeb in the FIA World Rally Championship.
Oman’s Abdullah Al Rawahi was patient and stayed clear of trouble as chaos ensued around him. He and Jordanian co-driver Ata Al Hmoud were rewarded with a stunning second place in their Oman Rally Team-run Skoda Fabia R2 evo and a useful haul of championship points.
Andorra-based Ulsterman Kris Meeke and co-driver Chris Patterson led after two stages on Friday before rolling out of contention for the win in stage four. Meeke climbed from fifth to third during the final day and then overcame a damper issue on the final loop of three stages to regain third overall and the final place on the podium.
In her latest exhibiton, “My Silk Road,” the Algerian visual artist Salima Ayadi presents a tribute to her cultural heritage with 19 paintings and 30 scarves inspired by — among other things — Islamic architecture, ceramic and faience patterns, and calligraphy.
The exhibition opened at the National Museum of Antiquities and Islamic Art in Algiers on January 22 and runs until February 13.
Ayadi graduated from the School of Fine Arts of Algiers with a degree in visual communication in 1982. For more than 37 years, she has produced silk-painted works — a technique to which she was introduced by an artist friend while on a trip to Switzerland. She has created artworks and scarves for national institutions such as the Senate and the People’s National Assembly, or for large companies including Sonatrach, Sonelgaz, Air Algeria, to name a few.
“For national institutions, I have worked on the cultural and historical heritage of Algeria, which is particularly rich. My works represent landscapes and monuments of all regions of the Casbah of Algiers, the Tassili n’Ajjer in the South-East, or the Berber patterns of Kabylia,” Ayadi tells Arab News. “These creations have been exhibited and some of them have been offered to foreign partners.” Her work has been shown in numerous group and individual exhibitions both at home and in Libya, Morocco and Iran.
Her first solo exhibition, held in 2017 at the Palace of Culture Moufdi Zakaria in Kouba, was a great success. “This exhibition (was very important), because it allowed me interact and mingle with the public,” she says. Each painting is created over a series of stages, each with its own potential pitfalls. Ayadi says that her selection of colors — reds, blues and greens are particular favorites — is based on the idea behind each painting. Once the selection process is complete, she can get to work — an often-painstaking process.
Behind each piece lies her passionate love of her Algerian heritage and her country’s rich and diverse culture. Currently, besides the “My Silk Road” exhibition, she is focused on producing a book of her work, which she hopes to release in the next year or so.
source/content: arabnews.com
____________
Salima Ayadi is an Algerian visual artist. (Supplied)
Merryhan Al-Baz’ has been taking apart cars and indulging her curiosity in the world of vehicles since she was 13 years old.
This passion for motors and engines, inherited from her father, lead the now 30-year-old to participate in the Diriyah E-Prix 2022 as a recovery marshal last month, becoming the world’s first female crane driver in race competitions.
“No one ever thought a woman could enter this field — the world of mechanics is a male dominated career. Fortunately, in my household, my mother and father always support any talents, ideas, or anything you desire to do,” Al-Baz told Arab News.
Al-Baz explained that there are four types of marshals at the E-Prix; fire, recovery, flag, and trackside. On the ground, authorities saw her capabilities and assigned her to join the recovery marshal team.
Recovery marshals must clean up the circuit immediately after an accident happens in order for a race to continue its course.
Al-Baz is a self-taught mechanic, with her educational background completely different from her career path. “I actually studied psychology and media in Lebanon, but I see myself in the world of cars,” she said. Al-Baz registered at an institute in Jeddah to receive a certificate to pursue her career in a more official manner. Her autodidactic reputation earned her a position as an instructor too, and she hopes that she will be able to open her own automobile repair shop in the near future.
source/content: arabnews.com
__________
Merryhan Al-Baz, 30-year-old Saudi woman with passion for motors and engines, becomes the world’s first female crane driver in race competitions. (Supplied)
Meet the Queen Bikers, Tunisia’s first all-female motorcycle club.
“There are more than 300 women who have a motorcycle driving licence in Tunisia, but do not practise this sport,” Khadija Hsaini, one of the founding members of the group, told Reuters.
She said there are a host of reasons holding women back. “They do not feel safe, or because they can’t find clubs that they can belong to, or because they don’t want to drive with men and want an all-female group.”
Dozens of motorcycle clubs exist around the country, but are almost exclusively composed of men – many of whom think women should only ride motorcycles as passengers.
So Hsaini set about to find other women to ride with. Among them is Wafa Khalifa.
“The idea [for the club] came when we were all separated,” Khalifa told Reuters. “Each woman owned a motorcycle, but was alone.”
Hsaini reached out to her and others. “She looked for us on social media and found every person in the area. Then she sent messages asking why we were so far from each other.”
Now the women gather regularly to ride their motorcycles along Tunisia’s scenic coastal roads, past Roman ruins and through endless stretches of olive groves. They pause along the way to take selfies with their bikes, and with one another.
source/content: thenationalnews.com
___________
Chaima Ben Ammou, member of a women’s-only motorcycle club, cleans her bike at her shop in Nabeul, Tunisia. Reuters
Saudi Arabia has declared Feb. 10 as “Arabian Leopard Day” in a bid to raise awareness of the endangered big cat.
The move, which was announced by the Council of Ministers last month, is part of the Kingdom’s efforts to protect the species, which is now classed as critically endangered, from extinction.
The Arabian leopard is the chief predator in Saudi Arabia and plays a major role in the Kingdom’s culture. But overhunting and a lack of natural prey means there are now fewer than 200 left in the wild.
In December 2020, Prince Badr Bin Farhan, the minister of culture and governor of the Royal Commission for AlUla, established the Global Fund to Protect the Arabian Leopard from Extinction in the Sharaan Nature Reserve. Its aim is to sustain the leopard population and its prey, and protect its natural habitat.
Images of the Arabian Leopard were projected onto buildings and monuments across Saudi Arabia and the UAE on Feb.10.
In recent years, the commission and the National Center for Wildlife have been working on a number of initiatives to protect the big cat. Among these is expanding a breeding program within the Sharaan reserve.
Also, last year, Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US, launched the nonprofit foundation Catmosphere to raise awareness of the many endangered cat species around the world, including the Arabian leopard.
The Kingdom also works closely with Panthera, which is devoted to the conservation of the world’s wild cat species.
The Arabian leopard lives in high mountains and is native to Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman and the UAE. Anyone found hunting the animal in the Kingdom faces a fine of SAR400,000 ($106,000) — rising to SAR30 million for repeat offenders — and up to 10 years in prison.
source/content: arabnews.com
______________
The Arabian leopard is the chief predator in Saudi Arabia and plays a major role in the Kingdom’s culture. (SPA)
