Amal Al Raisi – Founder & Creative Director : Dar Al Aseel. Omani Fashion Designer

Amal Al Raisi – Founder and Creative Director. : Dar Al Aseel

Fashion Designer . Omani Women’s Wear, over 12 years plus Label: Dar Al Aseel.

Available in Oman and regionwide through selected retail outlets.

www.amalalraisi.com

_____________

pix: omanmagazine.com

_________

OMAN

Yusra Mardini – Debut Swimmer for World’s First Refugee Olympic Team : Rio 2016

Member : Refugee Olympic Athletes Team (ROT). Competed under the Olympic Flag at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Appointed as UNCHR Goodwill Ambassador (27th April 2017).

Yusra Mardini represented Syria : 2012 FINA World Championships (25m) 200 metre individual medley, 200 metre freestyle and 400 metre freestyle events.

Represents : Under Armour sports brand

Book: Autobiography : ‘ Butterfly: From Refugee to Olympian – My Story of the Rescue, Hope and Triumph’ by Yusra Mardini

_____________

Mardini, 18, swam a 100 metre butterfly heat on day one of the Olympics.(AFP: Martin Bureau) / pix: abc.net.au

____________________

GERMANY / SYRIA

NEW – Textbook being released – ‘A History of Arab Graphic Design’

The book covers 4 generations of Arab designers.

Co-authored by Bahia Shehab, Professor of Practice at American University in Cairo and Haytham Nawar , Artist and Academic also of the American University in Cairo.

Bahia Shehab is also the Founder of the University’s Graphic Design Programme.

The book is scheduled to be released by the American University in Cairo Press in December 2020.

________________

Advertisements for Bastos cigarettes and the Shell Oil Company, both designed by the Algerian artist Omar Racim (Illustrations from A History of Arab Graphic Design). / pic: al-fanarmedia.org

______________

Cairo, EGYPT

World’s 3rd Largest Mosque & World’s Tallest Minaret : Algeria – October 2020

Grand Mosque Algeria (aka) Djamma El Djzair (aka) Great Mosque of Algiers, with a hall capacity to serve a maximum of 120,000 worshippers.

  • 3rd Largest Mosque in the World after the holy mosques of Makkah (Mecca) and Madinah (Medina)
  • Largest Mosque in Africa
  • World’s Tallest Minaret at 267 metres . The minaret is fitted with elevators and viewing platforms which has 37 floors, overlooking the Capital and Bay of Algiers.
  • Designed by German Architects KSP Juergen Engel Architektes. Engineers Krebs und Kiefer International. Contractor : China State Construction Engineering Corporation.

_______________

pix: see.news

______________________

ALGERIA

Bahrain’s long-serving Prime Minister – Sheikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa

His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa.

Held the post of First Prime Minister since Bahrain’s independence in 1971. Prime Minister for the longest serving term in Bahrain

Instituted Award:

  • Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa Award for Bahraini Physician

Honours :

National : Bahrain :

  •  Member 1st Class of the Order of Khalifa (19 October 1976)
  •  Collar of the Order of Khalifa (19 December 1979)
  •  Member Exceptional Class of the Order of Shaikh ‘Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa (21 October 2009)
  •  Member 1st Class of the King Hamad Order of the Renaissance (13 December 2009)

Foreign :

  • Denmark : Commander 1st Class of the Order of the Dannebrog (1957)
  • France : Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour  (21 February 2004)
  • Iraq : Member 2nd Class of the Order of the Two Rivers (3 April 1952)
  • Jordan : Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Renaissance (30 January 1999)
  •  Lebanon : Grand Officer of the National Order of the Cedar  (1958)
  •  Malaysia : Honorary Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (SMN, 30 January 2001)
  • Morocco : Grand Cross of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite (23 March 2004)
  • Philippines : Grand Collar of the Order of Lakanduala  (4 January 2007)
    •  Grand Collar of the Order of Sikatuna  (11 November 2001)
    • Spain : Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (4 December 1981)
  • Thailand : Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Order of the White Elephant  (12 April 2003)

Passed away November 11th, 2020

www.khalifabinsalman.bh

________________

pix: khalifabinsalman.bh

___________

BAHRAIN

Saeb Erekat . Leader. Veteran Peace Negotiator : November 10th, 2020

Dr. Saeb Muhammad Salih Erekat (aka) Saeb Erekat. Politician. Diplomat. Peace Negotiator

  • Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the PLO (since 2015)
  • Chief of the PLO Steering and Monitoring Committee (upto 12 Feb 2014)
  • Negotiated the OSLO Accords with Israel
  • Member of the Palestinian Parliament for Jericho

Education:

  • PhD – Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Bradford, England (1983)
  • M.A. – Political Science , San Francisco State University, USA (1979)
  • B.A. – International Relations, San Francisco State University, USA (1977)

Passed away on November 10th, 2020. Laid to rest after Military Honours

______________

pix: wsj.com /Wall Street Journal

_____________

PALESTINE

CongressWoman Iman Jodeh – First Arab Woman to Win A Seat in Colorado State Legislature (US) – November 2020

Iman Mohamad Jodeh (aka) Iman Jodeh wins state house seat in Colorado by beating her Republican rival Robert Andrew.

-First Arab Muslim woman to win a seat in the Colorado State House Legislature representing the 41st District.

Activity, other:

  • Founder – Non-Profit : ‘Meet the Middle East’
  • Co-ordinator/ Community Activist : ‘Interfaith Alliance of Colorado’

Education:

  • Master’s – Public Policy, University of Colorado, Denver
  • B.A – Political Science

_________________

Aurora neighborhood park on Oct. 22, 2020. (Eli Imadali, Special to The Colorado Sun) coloradosun.com

________________________________________________

AMERICAN – PALESTINIAN – ARAB AMERICAN

US Indiana Elect First Arab State Senator – Fady Qaddoura – November 2020

Fady Qaddoura won the membership of the Senate of Indiana, becoming the first Arab Muslim in the state legislature.

-Third Palestinian to win the US elections 2020 after defeating his rival John Ruckelchaus

Awards/Honours:

  • ’40 under 40 class of 2018 by Indiana Business Journal
  • IBJ 2018 ‘CFO of the Year’
  • AIM award for Excellence in Fiscal Management

www.fady4indiana.com

______________

pix: see.news

_________________________________________________

AMERICAN / PALESTINIAN / ARAB AMERICAN

Nabil Nayal – Fashion Designer

Nabil El-Nayal (aka) Nabil Nayal. Fashion Designer.

Founder , ready-to-wear fashion brand ‘Nabil Nayal’

Education:

  • Ph.D : in Fashion, Manchester Metropolitan University, Fashion Institute
  • Masters – Royal College of Arts
  • B.A. (Hons) – Fashion, Manchester Metropolitan (2008)

Awards/ Honours :

  • Royal Society of Arts Award 2008
  • Graduate Fashion Week ‘Best Womenswear’ Award 2008
  • British Fashion Council MA Scholarship Award – for the Royal College of Arts 2008
  • Crown Paint 2009 (interior design competition)
  • Harrods Launches 2010
  • Fashion Fringe Semi-Finalist 2011
  • LVMH Prize shortlist 2015
  • LVMH Prize finalist 2017
  • BFC Fashion Trust Grant and Mentoring 2019

www.nabilnayal.com

______________

pix: buro247.me

_______________________________________________

UNITED KINGDOM / SYRIAN / BRITISH ARAB

First Best Actor – Oscar Winner of Middle Eastern Descent – F Murray Abraham

Murray Abraham (aka) F Murray Abraham . Actor. Hollywood movies. Television. Theater and Stage Actor. Narrator.

F Murray Abraham. He later added an F to his stage name in honour of his father Fahrid ‘Fred’ Abraham.

Oscar Winner. Won an Oscar Award for his leading role as Antonio Salieri in the drama film ‘Amadeus’ (1984). He also won

Awards :

Theatre :-

  • Obie Award – Best Performance ‘Uncle Vanya ‘ 1984
  • Obie Award – Sustained Excellence of Performance ‘ The Merchant of Venice’ -2011

Film :

  • Academy Award – Best Actor – Amadeus (1985)
  • Golden Globe Award – Best Actor – Drama (1985)
  • LAFCA – Best Actor (1985)
  • Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award – Best Actor (1985)
  • Albert Schweitzer Award – Classic Film Acting (1985)
  • Georgia Film Critics Association – Best Ensemble (2015)
  • Southern Film Critics Association – Best Ensemble (2015)
  • Central Ohio Film Critics Association – Best Ensemble (2015)
  • Detroit Film Critics Society – Best Ensemble (2015)

Honours :

  • Awarded the “Premio per gli Italiani nel Mondo“. This is a prize distributed by the Marzio Tremaglia foundation and Italian government to Italian emigrants and their descendants who have distinguished themselves abroad (2014)
  • Recognized by the Alumni Association of the City College of New York with John H. Finley Award in recognition of exemplary dedicated service to the City of New York. (2009)
  • Recipient of The Gielgud Award (Theatre) (2010)

Hall of Fame:

Inductee to the American Theater Hall of Fame (2015)

Honorary Doctorate:

Honorary doctorate  from Rider University, Lawrenceville, New Jersey

________________

pix: observer.com

________________________________

AMERICAN /SYRIAN DESCENT